Hybrid and green preservation techniques for Penaeus monodon: A review of emerging technologies, shelf life enhancement and research gaps

Penaeus monodon (giant tiger prawn), one of the most valuable aquaculture species, provides a great deal of nutrition, sensory properties, and importance as a marketable food species. Spoilage occurs quickly and presents serious issues of post-harvest quality, safety, and shelf life. Preservation methods that are well-established, such as freezing, chilling, and adding chemical preservatives, may decrease quality, reduce nutritional value or result in a public health issue if any chemicals remain as residues. In response to the rising consumer demand for minimally-processed, safe, and sustainable seafood products, green and hybrid preservation methods have gained considerable interest. This review provides exhaustive coverage of several novel preservation methods examined for Penaeus monodon, including combinations of non-thermal methods (such as pulsed electric fields, ultrasound, and cold plasma), natural preservatives (such as plant extracts, essential oils, and bioactive coatings), and advanced forms of packaging. Furthermore, much of the focus in this review will be on hybrid methods that encourage synergism for inhibiting microorganisms, preventing lipid oxidation, and preserving sensory attributes of the seafood throughout storage. This article intends to provide information to those in the seafood industry, seafood technologists, and research community in promoting preservation methods to establish sustainability and supply for Penaeus monodon. Despite promising lab scale findings, challenges with customer acceptance, regulatory approvals, and process optimization prevent the various preservation strategies from commercial scaling. Variability in microbial load, size, and lack of harmonized protocols further complicate quality assurance and regulatory approval. Future research should focus on understanding mechanical relationships, optimizing multi-hurdle combinations, pilot scale validation, collaboration with industry stakeholders, meeting customer expectations, and clear regulatory frameworks. Additionally, developing non-destructive, rapid, environmentally friendly freshness assessment techniques that are more accessible than traditional chemical methods represents an important research direction.