SORBATES IN FISH AND FISH PRODUCTS A REVIEW

A large number of studies have been carried out to determine the effic acy of sorbates in extending the shelf-life of fish and fish products. The results of these studies indicate that sorbates in combination wi th other compounds or techniques inhibit the growth of microorganisms including some potential pathogens in these products, thereby extendin g their shelf-life. Sorbates retarded the chemical changes occurring i n fish during storage and inhibited the formation of trimethylamine an d other chemicals responsible for fish spoilage. Sorbates prevented th e development of off-odors in fish and fish products by preventing oxi dation in them. The acceptability scores of sorbate-treated products w ere higher as compared to untreated control samples. In short, studies conducted on the use of sorbates in fish and fish products suggest th at sorbates in combination with other compounds or techniques can be u sed as an effective preservative for extending the shelf-life of fish products.