Antibacterial Effects of Combined Slightly Acidic Electrolyzed Water and UV Light in Chilled Fish Keeping Quality

The preservation of fish is critical for ensuring food safety, extending shelf life, and maintaining its quality. Therefore, the study was planned out to investigate the impact of application of slightly acidic electrolyzed water (SAEW) and\or ultraviolet light (UV) rays for 30 minutes’ maximum time of exposure, as innovative non-thermal for improving the bacteriological and keeping quality of mackerel fish samples during refrigeration storage. The obtained results indicated a significant inhibition in the bacterial counts with retardation in the protein and fat degradation through noticeable reduction in the total volatile basic nitrogen (TVB-N) and thiobarbituric acid (TBA) levels in the treated fish samples as compared to the control samples during refrigeration. Furthermore, sensory profile of the treated samples proved the promising beneficial effect as accredited application in fish preservation and production, where the treated samples kept their organoleptic acceptability up to 10th day of refrigeration storage (4±1OC). In contrast, the control group showed spoilage signs after the 4th day of storage. Although all of the treated samples either with SAEW or UV showed variable promising enhancement effects, the combined SAEW and UV treatment had higher sensory quality, beside its antibacterial effects. Accordingly, it is highly recommended to apply combined SAEW/UV treatment for enhancing the fish keeping quality to ensure safe fish products.