Preservation of Monkfish ( <i>Lophius piscatorius</i> ) Fillets Through Dry‐Aging and Impact of Processing on the Quality and Shelf Life When Compared to Fresh Fillets

The quality and preservation potential of dry-aged monkfish (DM) in maturation bags and unprocessed fresh monkfish (FM) fillets were evaluated during cold storage (1.5°C ± 0.5°C), using quality index method (QIM), microbial analysis, and cadaverine measurements. The quality index (QI) increased linearly with storage (FM, R² = 0.88; DM, R² = 0.87), revealing a 4- to 5-day shelf life extension for DM compared to FM. This was confirmed by microbiological results, with total viable counts (TVC) being significantly (p < 0.01) higher for FM than DM on the day of rejection, defined by QIM at D10 and D14, with TVC accounting for 8.8 ± 0.1 and 7.5 ± 0.4 log(CFU/g), respectively. Predominant spoilage bacteria present in the FM and DM were Pseudomonas spp. and Shewanella spp. accounting for 60% and 30% of isolates (n: 30), respectively, whereas Listeria monocytogenes and Escherichia coli were not detected in either treatment. Cadaverine levels observed were within safety limits for the extended shelf life period and increased exponentially with storage (FM, R² = 0.83; DM, R² = 0.96), whereas a significant (p < 0.05) correlation was observed with QI scores for both FM (r = 0.92) and DM (r = 0.88). Associating the results of QIM to the sensory descriptive analysis revealed that the cooked fillets' "eating quality" reflected the uncooked fillets' odor quality. Overall, dry-aging via maturation bags can be considered a suitable and applicable preservation method for monkfish and other lean fish that can safely extend the shelf life while retaining or even enhancing their sensory eating quality.