Use of biopreservation to improve the quality of fresh aquatic products

Abstract

Aquatic products are especially susceptible to both microbiological and biochemical spoilage. Therefore, preservation process must be applied immediately after capture or slaughter to assure product freshness and quality. Furthermore, consumers are currently demanding for high-quality and minimally processed products free of synthetic additives. Use of biopreservation processes is a strategy that can be applied to obtain high quality products and fulfil consumer demands. The objective of this chapter is to describe current methods and developing technologies based on different strategies of biopreservation (use of bacteriocins produced in situ or ex situ, essential oils, and plant- and seaweed-derived substrates) to control both microbial and biochemical spoilage. The benefits and limitations are also presented and discussed.