AMBIENT TEMPERATURE

This study investigated the effects of deep and air frying on the shelf life of Atlantic mackerel (Scomber scombrus) stored at ambient temperature in Ziplock packages. The fish samples were divided into salted and unsalted portions, fried using both methods, and stored for six days. Microbial analyses were conducted at intervals to determine bacterial and fungal loads. Results showed a steady increase in microbial counts over time, with bacterial counts rising from 7.4 cfu/gm on day 0 to 29.6 cfu/gm on day 6, and fungal counts from 30.7 cfu/gm to 74.9 cfu/gm. Air-fried samples consistently showed lower microbial growth compared to deep-fried ones, while salted samples exhibited slower spoilage rates than unsalted ones. These findings suggest that air frying combined with salt treatment effectively enhances the microbial stability and shelf life of fried Atlantic mackerel stored at ambient temperature.

This study was carried out to evaluate the effects of selected aromatic pepper spices on the organoleptic and microbial qualities of oven-dried Oreochromis niloticus (Nile tilapia) fillets stored at ambient temperature. Fresh fillets were seasoned with 2% (w/w)
of three different pepper spices Scotch Bonnet (Capsicum chinense), Cayenne (Capsicum annuum), and Bell Pepper (Capsicum annuum) and compared with not spiced (control) samples. The spiced and not-spiced fillets were oven-dried at 100°C for 5 ours, packaged in sterile ziploc bags, and stored at room temperature (28 ± 2 °C) for 14 days. Microbiological, and sensory analyses were conducted at 7-day intervals to assess changes during storage. Results revealed that the spice treatments and storage durations significantly (P < 0.05) affected the sensory and microbial qualities of the fish samples. On Day 1, all samples exhibited high sensory ratings across appearance, aroma, taste, and overall acceptability (3.8 – 4.6), but these values declined progressively by Day 14. Cayenne and Bell Peppertreated samples retained relatively higher flavour and acceptability scores than Scotch Bonnet and the control, suggesting mild preservative or antioxidant effects. Microbial counts increased with storage time, with bacterial loads ranging from 7.0 × 10⁻³ cfu/g in Bell Pepper-treated samples to 240.0 × 10⁻³ cfu/g in Cayenne-treated fillets samples after
14 days. Proteus sp., Staphylococcus aureus, and Bacillus sp. were among the predominant bacterial isolates, while Aspergillus flavus, Mucor sp., and Penicillium species were the most common detected fungi. Ultimately, bell Pepper proved to be the most effective in inhibiting microbial proliferation and maintaining product acceptability