Quality And Shelf-Life Analysis Of Canned Hilsa (Tenualosa Ilisha) Under Eco-Friendly Thermal Processing: A Sustainable Approach To Bangladesh’s Blue Economy

Hilsa (Tenualosa ilisha), a commercially important fish known as the "King of Fish" in Asian countries, was processed using a small-scale canning procedure that included high-pressure sterilization to increase shelf life. This study compared the physiological, nutritional, biochemical, and microbiological aspects of the canned Hilsa (CH) products to ram fish. Sensory qualities were evaluated on a 9-point hedonic scale, with CH maintaining satisfactory scores over the 365-day storage period. Proximate composition was determined using AOAC methods, and fatty acid (FA) profiles, particularly omega-3 and omega-6, were assessed using GC-MS. Significant changes (P < 0.05) were found in FA categories between raw fish and CH after storage, with a decreasing trend of MUFA > PUFA > SFA in CH canned with sunflower oil. Acid hydrolysis-derived amino acid profiles demonstrated the presence of critical amino acids, with the essential/non-essential amino acid ratio (0.60) shifting significantly during storage. Clostridium botulinum was not detected in any CH samples, indicating that the sterilization process was effective. This study shows that small-scale canning with high-pressure sterilization can preserve the quality and safety of Hilsa while extending its shelf life.