Effect of different packaging methods on the quality characteristics of dried Engraulis japonicus

Engraulis japonicus is a small-sized economic fish with high nutritional value, which is widely distributed in Western Pacific and Western Indian Ocean. Fresh E. japonicus is highly perishable products due to their high activity of endogenous enzymes. Therefore, dried E. japonicus is processed directly after fishing and then sold after transportation and circulation. The storage stability of dried E. japonicus can be improved by selecting appropriate packaging methods, such as air packaging, vacuum packaging, CO₂ packaging, and modified atmosphere packaging. After packaging, dried E. japonicus and other aquatic products can avoid secondary pollution, and slow down the degradation rate of product quality. In order to investigate the effects of different packaging on the quality characteristics of dried E. japonicus during storage at normal temperature, air packaging was compared with vacuum packaging, modified atmosphere packaging and CO₂ packaging, the total bacterial count, TVB-N, POV, TBA, color difference, volatile flavor components and sensory score were determined and analyzed. The results showed that VP, MAP, and CP can effectively inhibit microbial growth. After 8 days storage at 25 °C, TVB-N, POV and TBA values of VP group were 47.08%, 4.13% and 25.49% lower than those of AP group. The VP group had better effects in slowing down the color change of samples, protecting the structural integrity of muscle fiber, retaining volatile flavor components, and maintaining sensory properties, which confirmed that vacuum packaging is the best choice. The shelf life prediction model of dried E. japonicus was established based on the Arrhenius equation, and the shelf-life of vacuum-packed dried E. japonicus was 6.07 d and 3.23 d at 25 and 35 °C. The study can provide a theoretical basis for the quality control of dried E. japonicus in the process of normal temperature transportation.