Effects of Irradiation Combined with Partial Freezing Treatment on Texture, Flavor Compounds, and Storage Quality of Fermented Stinky Sea Bass

The preservation of fermented stinky sea bass (FSSB) has always been a major challenge. In this study, four preservation methods, including partial freezing (PF), freezing (F), irradiation + partial freezing (IPF), and irradiation + freezing (IF), were employed, and their effects on the storage quality of vacuum-packed fermented stinky sea bass were investigated. The results revealed that histamines and coliforms were not detected in any of the four preservation methods. Meanwhile, the TVB-N, peroxide value, pH, and cooking loss showed an increasing trend, while the hardness, springiness, and chewiness showed a decreasing trend, following FSSB vacuum packaging during the 30-day preservation period. Compared with PF or F only, irradiation significantly reduced the total plate number, TVB-N, pH, L*, and whiteness of the FSSB samples but increased the peroxide value content while maintaining the cohesiveness, gumminess, and chewiness. Furthermore, the of 1-butanol, propanal, and (E)-2-pentenal contents increased. In contrast, IPF preservation showed a better ability to maintain the texture quality of the FSSB. The safety index of the FSSB samples complied with the Chinese Standard GB10136-2015 National Food Safety Standards Animal Aquatic Products, following the 30-day preservation period under the four preservation methods. Overall, the experimental results suggest that the IPF preservation method is the most preferable approach to preserving FSSB, which can significantly maintain the product quality and save energy.