Miso marination as a technology to extend cold storage of escolar meats

• Miso marination with VP has synergistic inactivation effects on microbial counts. • Miso marination inhibits increases in TVBN, and pH in escolar fish flesh. • Miso marination extended shelf life from 3 d to 5 d at 15°C, and 12 d to 15 d at 4°C. • Combining miso marination with VP is an effective hurdle technique for preserving fish. In this study, fresh and miso-marinated escolar meats were stored in polyethylene (PE) or vacuum packaging (VP) at 15°C and 4°C. Results showed that miso marination with VP most effectively slowed microbial growth, followed by miso with PE and fresh fish with VP, while fresh fish with PE performed the worst. In addition, Miso marination with VP or PE effectively slowed the rise in pH and total volatile basic nitrogen (TVBN), with fresh fish with VP showing moderate effect and fresh fish with PE the least effective. Based on TVBN and sensory scores, miso marination extended the shelf life of fresh samples at 15°C and 4°C from 3 to 5 d and 12 to 15 d, respectively, regardless of the type of packaging (PE or VP). In summary, miso marination delays the microbial and chemical degradation of escolar flesh and is more effective when combined with VP. Therefore, miso marination with VP is an effective hurdle technique for enhancing the quality and freshness of aquatic products. These findings suggest that incorporating traditional seasonings such as miso into modern preservation strategies could be applied in the seafood processing industry to develop ready-to-cook or ready-to-eat products with extended shelf life and improved safety.