Development of fish burger patty from spotted triggerfish (<em>Canthidermis maculate</em> L.) mince and determination of its nutritional properties and shelf-life

Fish is a popular protein source, and consumer interest in value-added fish products is increasing. In addition to abundant underutilized fish species that are not in demand as fresh fish, this is a sustainable approach to fulfilling protein needs while minimizing the over-exploitation of highly demanded fish varieties such as yellow-fin tuna. Therefore, this study aimed to prepare a burger patty using Spotted triggerfish (Canthidermis maculata L.), a relatively abundant underutilized fish species in the Indo-Pacific region and determine its nutritional properties and shelf-life. Four different formulations of triggerfish mince (FM) and bread crumb (BC) (T1: 62% FM and 10% BC, T2: 58% FM and 14% BC, T3: 54% FM and 18% BC and T4: 50% FM and 22% BC w/w) were prepared while keeping other ingredients constant (28% w/w). Proximate composition, physico-chemical properties and shelf-life analysis were conducted using standard methods. Sensory analysis with 30 semi-trained panellists using a 5-point hedonic scale identified treatment T2 (58% FM:14% BC w/w) as the most preferred fish burger patty. Proximate analysis of T2 revealed 54.92±0.23 g/100 g moisture, 15.5±0.82 g/100 g crude protein, 3.11±0.14 g/100 g crude fat, and 2.28±0.02 g/100 g total ash content. T2 demonstrated significantly higher hardness (p<0.05) than the control sample (commercially available fish burger patty). The total volatile base nitrogen (TVB-N) levels of T2 significantly increased from 14.68 to 26.73/100 g during the storage period. The total plate count was assessed biweekly during storage. The product was absent from E. coli, Staphylococcus aureus, and Salmonella, which were tested at the initial stage. It can be concluded that the developed burger patty, which contains 58% w/w triggerfish mince, is safe to consume after one month, and further studies are required to determine the shelf-life. This product offers a promising alternative to commercially available burger patties, with higher nutritional value in fat, fibre, protein, and energy.