Sodium acetate and low oxygen keep seer fish fresher in ice
What it found
In lab tests on seer fish steaks stored in ice, a sodium acetate dip plus an oxygen absorber kept the fish acceptable for up to 25 days, against 12 days for ordinary air packs.
What they found
Animal and lab studies
Shelf life extended
The sodium acetate dip with an oxygen absorber extended the sensory shelf life to 25 days. Untreated samples with an oxygen absorber lasted 20 days, and ordinary air packs lasted 12 days.
Slower bacterial growth
Many of the bacteria studied showed a clear lag phase before growing, especially in the sodium acetate treated samples with the oxygen absorber.
Counts at rejection
On the day the fish was rejected by sensory testing, total mesophilic counts reached 7.7 to 8.1 log cfu/g and psychrotrophic counts reached 7.1 to 7.9 log cfu/g.
Which bacteria dominated
The main spoilage bacteria changed with treatment. Air packs were mostly H2S-producers, then Brochothrix thermosphacta and Pseudomonas spp. Untreated packs with an oxygen absorber were mostly H2S-producers, then Lactobacillus spp. Treated packs with an oxygen absorber were mostly B. thermosphacta, then Lactobacillus spp.
Pseudomonas and Enterobacteriaceae
The oxygen absorber stopped the growth of Pseudomonas spp. and total Enterobacteriaceae.
Other findings
Oxygen removed from packs
The oxygen absorber cut the oxygen in the pack to less than 0.01%, a 99.96% reduction, within 24 hours.
What the authors conclude
- They report that using an oxygen absorber with a sodium acetate dip extended the sensory shelf life of the fish to 25 days.
- They note that the sodium acetate treatment and reduced oxygen atmosphere changed which bacteria became the main spoilers.
How it was done
Seer fish steaks were stored in ice at 1 to 2 degrees C. Some were dipped in a 2% sodium acetate solution and packed with an oxygen absorber, and these were compared with untreated samples with an oxygen absorber and with ordinary air packs.
What it can’t tell you
- We summarised it from the abstract only.
- This was a lab study on fish steaks, not a study in people.
- It does not show what would happen with other fish, other storage temperatures or other packaging.
Who paid
- Authors work at
- Central Institute of Fisheries Technology (Indian Council of Agricultural Research), India
The paper
- Title
- Effect of reduced oxygen atmosphere and sodium acetate treatment on the microbial quality changes of seer fish (Scomberomorus commerson) steaks stored in ice
- Type
- Study
- Evidence
- Animals and lab studies
- Summarised from
- Abstract only
- Cite
- Mohan CO, Ravishankar CN, Srinivasa Gopal TK, Lalitha KV, Asok Kumar K (2010). Effect of reduced oxygen atmosphere and sodium acetate treatment on the microbial quality changes of seer fish (Scomberomorus commerson) steaks stored in ice. Food microbiology. doi:10.1016/j.fm.2010.01.005PubMed 20417403DOI
Summary written 26 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error