Quality of filleted salmon in various retail packages

The quality attributes of salmon filleted and retail packed directly after slaughtering or after transport in various bulk packages were observed duri ng storage at +2C The retail packages used were overwrap, vacuum and gas pa ckages (40% CO2 + 60% N-2 or 60% CO2 + 40% N-2). Microbial growth was clear ly greater in overwrapped and slightly greater in vacuum packed samples tha n in gas packed samples. The differences were more evident when the fillets were directly retail packed without preceding bulk transport. The sensory quality of retail gas packed samples was evaluated as only slightly better than that of retail overwrapped and vacuum-packed samples after bulk transp ort. The sensory quality of direct, retail gas packed samples was evaluated as clearly better than that of overwrapped and vacuum packed samples. K-va lues determined with both HPLC and paper strip methods increased steadily d uring storage, although the values determined with the HPLC method were alw ays much higher than those determined with the rapid paper strip method.