Development and Quality Characterization of Seasoned Grilled Conger Eel (Conger myriaster) Fillets for Home Meal Replacement Applications

Home meal replacement (HMR) products have become increasingly popular because of their convenience and ability to provide nutritionally balanced meals. This study developed seasoned grilled conger eel (Conger myriaster) fillets for HMR applications and evaluated their nutritional quality, safety, and storage stability during frozen storage. The seasoned grilled conger eel fillets were prepared by boiling at 100 ± 10 °C, oven grilling under optimized conditions (200 °C for 10 min), and freezing at −25 °C. Nutritional composition, fatty acid and amino acid profiles, physicochemical properties, microbiological quality, safety, and sensory characteristics were evaluated. The seasoned grilled conger eel fillets contained 17.7 g 100 g−1 crude protein and were rich in glutamic acid (2670.0 mg 100 g−1), lysine (1700.0 mg 100 g−1), and aspartic acid (1656.6 mg 100 g−1). The lipid profile showed monounsaturated (2663.7 mg 100 g−1), saturated (1584.1 mg 100 g−1), and polyunsaturated fatty acids (1553.9 mg 100 g−1). Heavy metals and radionuclides were not detected in the raw conger eel fillets. During 180 days of storage at −23, −18, and −13 °C, thiobarbituric acid reactive substances, total bacterial count, and total volatile basic nitrogen increased gradually but remained within acceptable limits, reaching 0.41 mg MDA kg−1, 1.92–2.11 log CFU g−1, and 7.58–7.82 mg 100 g−1, respectively. Samples stored at −23 °C generally retained quality and sensory attributes better than those stored at higher temperatures (−13 and −18 °C). The model-based shelf-life of the seasoned grilled conger eel fillets was estimated at 25 months at −18 °C. Overall, the findings demonstrate the nutritional characteristics and frozen storage quality of seasoned grilled conger eel fillets, supporting their potential use as a seafood component in HMR applications.