Potassium lactate and acetate in marinated catfish fillets
What it found
In catfish fillets stored for 14 days, a mix of potassium lactate and potassium acetate slowed spoilage bacteria and improved how the fillets looked and tasted to consumers.
What they found
Studies in people
Consumer liking
Consumers preferred the treated catfish fillets, fried, for appearance, flavour and overall acceptability over the untreated control.
Other findings
Spoilage bacteria
Fillets treated with both potassium acetate and potassium lactate had lower counts of spoilage bacteria and lower spoilage scores than untreated fillets on days 7, 10 and 14.
Cooking yield and colour
All treated fillets had higher cooking yields and higher CIE a* values, and lower CIE L* and b* values, than untreated fillets.
Solution pick-up and pH
There were no differences between treated and untreated fillets in solution pick-up or pH.
What the authors conclude
“In conclusion, the combination of potassium acetate and potassium lactate enhanced sensory quality and extended the shelf-life of refrigerated catfish fillets.”
Also in their conclusions
- They conclude that the combination of potassium acetate and potassium lactate enhanced sensory quality and extended the shelf-life of refrigerated catfish fillets.
How it was done
Sodium or potassium salts such as lactate and acetate can be used to slow the growth of spoilage bacteria and food-borne pathogens, and so extend the shelf-life of refrigerated seafood. Little was known about combining potassium salts with an agglomerated phosphate blend in catfish fillets.
Catfish fillets were vacuum-tumbled with a brine solution, with or without added organic acid salts, at 10% over their initial raw weight. They were then tray-packed and stored at 4 °C for 14 days, and checked for yields, color, pH, tenderness, consumer acceptability and shelf-life.
What it can’t tell you
- We summarised it from the abstract only.
- This study looked only at catfish fillets stored for 14 days, so it cannot show how the same salts behave in other foods or over longer storage.
- It measured spoilage bacteria and quality, not whether the treated fillets were safer to eat.
The paper
- Title
- Potassium acetate and potassium lactate enhance the microbiological and physical properties of marinated catfish fillets
- Type
- Study
- Evidence
- Studies in people
- Summarised from
- Abstract only
- Cite
- Kin S, Schilling MW, Smith BS, et al (2011). Potassium acetate and potassium lactate enhance the microbiological and physical properties of marinated catfish fillets. Journal of food science. doi:10.1111/j.1750-3841.2011.02122.xPubMed 22417369DOI
Summary written 26 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error