Effect of Different Packaging Conditions and Packaging Materials on Proximate Composition and pH of Solar-dried Indian Mackerel (Rastrelliger kanagurta) Stored at Room Temperature
U. M. Patel *
College of Fisheries, Ratnagiri, Dr. Balasaheb Sawant Konkan Krishi Vidhyapeeth, Dapoli (MH), India.
P. E. Shingare
College of Fisheries, Ratnagiri, Dr. Balasaheb Sawant Konkan Krishi Vidhyapeeth, Dapoli (MH), India.
A. U. Pagarkar
College of Fisheries, Ratnagiri, Dr. Balasaheb Sawant Konkan Krishi Vidhyapeeth, Dapoli (MH), India.
J. M. Koli
College of Fisheries, Ratnagiri, Dr. Balasaheb Sawant Konkan Krishi Vidhyapeeth, Dapoli (MH), India.
K. J. Chaudhari
Fisheries Engineering and Polytechnic, Ratnagiri, Dr. Balasaheb Sawant Konkan Krishi Vidhyapeeth, Dapoli (MH), India.
S. J. Meshram
Fisheries Sub-center TMBRS, Panvel, Dr. Balasaheb Sawant Konkan Krishi Vidhyapeeth, Dapoli (MH), India.
D. I. Pathan
College of Fisheries, Ratnagiri, Dr. Balasaheb Sawant Konkan Krishi Vidhyapeeth, Dapoli (MH), India.
S. B. Satam
Marine Biological Research Station (MBRS), Ratnagiri, Dr. Balasaheb Sawant Konkan Krishi Vidhyapeeth, Dapoli (MH), India.
M. T. Sharangdhar
College of Fisheries, Ratnagiri, Dr. Balasaheb Sawant Konkan Krishi Vidhyapeeth, Dapoli (MH), India.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
This study evaluated the effects of packaging conditions and materials on the proximate composition and pH of solar-dried Indian mackerel (Rastrelliger kanagurta) during 180 days of storage at room temperature. Fresh mackerel contained 70.82% moisture, 18.75% protein, 9.45% fat and 1.26% ash, with a pH of 6.7. Following salting and solar drying, samples were packed in gunny bags (control), low-density polyethylene, dotted low-density polyethylene and polyamide/polyethylene pouches under air or vacuum conditions. Moisture, protein, fat, ash and pH were evaluated at 30-day intervals using standard analytical methods. Moisture content and pH increased during storage, whereas protein, fat and ash contents generally decreased. The gunny-bag control exhibited greater changes in the measured characteristics than the vacuum-packaged samples. Among the evaluated treatments, vacuum packaging in polyamide/polyethylene pouches (MVP3) resulted in the lowest final moisture content (23.26%) and pH (6.85). This treatment also retained higher protein, fat and ash contents than the control, with final fat and ash values of 8.42% and 13.68%, respectively. The findings indicate that packaging conditions and materials influenced the physicochemical characteristics of solar-dried Indian mackerel during room-temperature storage. Vacuum packaging in polyamide/polyethylene pouches was the most effective treatment evaluated for limiting changes in the measured parameters over 180 days.
Keywords: Solar drying, Indian mackerel, packaging material, vacuum packaging, proximate composition, pH, shelf life