Effects on product quality of various ice forms used in transportation of european sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax) in polystyrene boxes

Fishery products are more sensitive to microbial spoilage compared to other food products. Preservation and transportation equipments throughout the catch to market process are specie and characteristics variant, and being chosen to extend the pre-rigor and to prolong the rigor phase. Seabass (Dicentrarchus labrax) is in the species with high economic value being catched and aquacultured in territorial waters of Turkey. In this context, the procedures applied and the precautions taken whilst the transportation of this product to the markets has major importance for either the processing opportunities and economic diversities they offer or the consumer health and rights. In this thesis, the optimum requisites followed by understanding the relations between cooling equipments used in transportation and preservation of the fishes have been determined and color changes, chemical and sensorial impacts have been examined. On the other hand, the effects of carbon dioxide emission on the flake ice content and the shelf life of the product have been determined. According to the results %25 flake ice - %75 dry ice combination has enabled the 12 days of shelf life, limited the total aerobic mesophilic bacteria growth and affected the product quality in a positive way. These results are on unignorable levels for exportation, transportation and product quality.