Oxygen Scavenger Packaging for Seafood Preservation

Abstract

Presence of oxygen inside the package leads to fast degradation of quality of fish due to oxidative deterioration and microbial spoilage. In active packaging systems, the food, the package and the environment surrounding the food interact to preserve the quality and to extend the shelf life of the packaged food. Oxygen (O2) scavengers, the most commercially significant sub-group of active packaging, are very effective in reducing the residual levels of oxygen within the package to less than 100 ppm, thereby retaining the original quality and extending the storage life. Various studies have shown that the use of O2 scavengers, also known as O2 absorbers, have effectively controlled fat oxidation and inhibited the growth of microorganisms, which ultimately enhanced the storage life of fish. It is also observed that O2 scavengers inhibited the growth of aerobic bacteria such as Pseudomonas spp. in fish stored in chilled environment and altered the dominant bacterial flora from Gram-negative to Gram-positive Brochothrix thermosphacta and Lactobacillus spp. In addition to extension of shelf life of fishes, the use of O2 scavenger also proves economically beneficial for the seafood industry, since it is a simple, cost-effective means of generating low oxygen atmosphere eliminating the cost of equipments.