Physicochemical and Microbiological Quality Characteristics of Commercial Gwamegi

Gwamegi is a dried seafood product made from Pacific saury or herring with moisture content of 40% or less. This study aimed to provide fundamental data for evaluating the appropriateness of quality and safety standards for gwamegi by analyzing quality characteristics of commercial products. The moisture content of processed and semi-processed gwamegi made from Pacific saury ranged from 38.00-41.90% and 34.07–40.34%, respectively, while those made from herring ranged from 32.51-37.81% and 23.49–38.09%, respectively. Processing method (processed vs. semi-processed) did not significantly affect moisture content within the same raw material. However, herring gwamegi showed significantly lower moisture content than Pacific saury gwamegi. The acid values of processed and semi-processed Pacific saury gwamegi were 5.84-19.14 and 3.99-13.57 KOH mg/g, respectively, while those of herring gwamegi were 5.54-14.16 and 6.81–20.01 KOH mg/g, respectively. The high degree of unsaturated fatty acids in fish lipids makes them susceptible to oxidation, leading to a reduced product quality. Histamine analysis by HPLC showed that processed herring gwamegi contained an average of 25.75 mg/100 g, significantly higher than other sample groups. In contrast, semi-processed herring gwamegi averaged 13.99 mg/100 g, which was not statistically different from Pacific saury gwamegi (processed: 8.06 mg/100 g, semi-processed: 9.59 mg/100 g). Total aerobic bacteria were highest in processed Pacific saury gwamegi. Coliforms were detected in 27 of 44 products, and E. coli was found in only one product. These results provide a basis for assessing the suitability of quality and safety standards for gwamegi.