Caviar from aquacultured Acipenser gueldenstaedtii: effects of additives and thermal processing on product quality

Abstract

This study investigates how salting (approximate to 3% NaCl), borax addition, and mild pasteurisation (60 degrees C/20 min) jointly affect the nutritional quality, oxidative stability, microbial safety, and sensory acceptance of aquacultured Acipenser gueldenstaedtii caviar during refrigerated storage. Four processing groups were evaluated: traditional malossol (TM), borax-added malossol (BTM), pasteurised malossol (PTM), and borax-added pasteurised malossol (BPTM). Proximate composition, amino acid and fatty acid profiles, pH, total volatile basic nitrogen (TVB-N), thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS), water activity, microbial load, and sensory attributes were monitored during 7 months of cold storage (2 +/- 1 degrees C). Essential amino acids increased after salting, with lysine, leucine, and valine showing the largest rises (up to similar to 49%, p < 0.05). Borax showed a temporary inhibitory effect on microbial growth but reduced certain semi-essential amino acids. All formulations maintained sensory scores >= 5.0/10 for similar to 5 months (p < 0.05), after which scores declined. Across treatments, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) + docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) peaked at similar to 11.8% (PTM); TVB-N reached similar to 6.4-9.2 mg/100 g by month 7; TBARS increased to similar to 0.70-1.30 mu g MDA/g; mesophilic counts reached similar to 5.5 log cfu/g; and sensory acceptability persisted to similar to month 5. These findings show that optimised traditional processing can enhance the nutritional profile, safety, and shelf-life of sturgeon caviar. [GRAPHICS] .