Utilização do método de índice de qualidade (MIQ) para determinação do grau de frescor de pacu (Piaractus mesopotamicus) eviscerado e estocado em gelo

Abstract

This study aimed to develop the quality index method (QIM) for evaluating certain attributes of pacu, a fishwater (Piaractus mesopotamicus), gutted, stored under ice (0 °C ± 0.5 °C) for 22 days and apply the method to establish its shelf life. To assess the fish freshness during storage, sensory (QIM) and physicochemical (pH and total volatile bases) tests were performed on the first, fourth, seventh, tenth, thirteenth, sixteenth, nineteenth, and twenty-second days in triplicate. The correlations among the results obtained by the analyses were used to determine the rejection point. Results indicate that the expiration date for pacu storage was estimated in 11 storage days. The QIM was considered efficient for assessing the pacu freshness, since sensory rejection by QIM was determinative for establishing the shelf life.