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The quality index method for the assessment of fish freshness
Bekaert, K.; Raemaekers, M. (2005). The quality index method for the assessment of fish freshness, in: Mees, J. et al. VLIZ Young Scientists' Day, Brugge, Belgium 25 February 2005: book of abstracts. VLIZ Special Publication, 20: pp. 20
In: Mees, J.; Seys, J. (Ed.) (2005). VLIZ Young Scientists' Day, Brugge, Belgium 25 February 2005: book of abstracts. VLIZ Special Publication, 20. Vlaams Instituut voor de Zee (VLIZ): Oostende. X, 129 pp., more
In: VLIZ Special Publication. Vlaams Instituut voor de Zee (VLIZ): Oostende. ISSN 1377-0950, more

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Document type: Summary

Keywords
    Control > Quality control
    Inspection > Fish inspection
    ANE, Belgium [Marine Regions]
    Marine/Coastal

Authors  Top 
  • Bekaert, K., more
  • Raemaekers, M., more

Abstract
    The last couple of years, the fisheries sector is under great pressure. For the development of durable and economic viable fisheries, fish quality and traceability in the supply chain is a central element. Freshness is an important factor in determining the overall quality of raw fish and sensory evaluation is the most common method for freshness assessment. However, the validity of the EU sensory grading system has been questioned as it is not taking into account differences between species and only using general characteristics. Efforts have been made to develop alternative, objective sensory methods. The most interesting freshness quality grading system at the moment is the Quality Index Method (QIM), first introduced in 1985, as a standardised, rapid and reliable method. The main characteristic of QIM is giving scores from 0 to 3 for changes of quality attributes that occur during storage on ice. The scores for all the characteristics are summarised to give an overall sensory score, the so-called Quality Index (QI). The aim is to obtain a linear relationship between QI and storage time in ice. As such, the QI might estimate the storage time. QIM has to be developed separately for each fish species. A QIM scheme for the sensory assessment of freshness of yellow gurnard (Trigla lucerna) was developed and validated by sensory and chemical parameters.

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