Suitability of Volatile Amines as Freshness Indexes for Iced Mediterranean Hake.

bstract Batches of gutted Mediterranean hake ( Merluccius merluccius var. Mediterraneus) were stored, in different seasons of the year, for up to 20 d in ice. Changes in trimethylamine (TMA-N), total volatile bases (TVB-N), P-ratio and trimethylamine oxide (TMAO) were measured; sensory evaluation of raw and cooked hake samples was also carried out. Similar profiles were observed between the different trials for all the parameters studied. TVB-N was not correlated with the time of ice storage, and proved to be better as a spoilage index than a freshness one. In contrast, TMA-N appears to be a good index of hake quality, and the value of 5 mg/100g offish seems an appropriate limit of acceptability. P-ratio was a poorer index of freshness than was TMA-N. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]