Portable odor detection device for quality inspection of Alaska pink salmon (Oncorhynchus gorbuscha)

Abstract

This study investigated the ability of a portable hand-held electronic nose (EN) to detect spoilage of whole and canned Alaska pink salmon (Oncorhynchus gorbuscha) using ethanol as a spoilage indicator for canned salmon. Fish held in seawater (14°C) and in slush ice (1°C) were sampled and canned at various intervals of time up to 3 and 16 days of storage, respectively. The EN measured volatile compounds emanating from the gill and belly cavity of whole fish, in conjunction with sensory and microbial analyses. The EN and sensory evaluations were conducted on the canned products. In addition, static headspace gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry was used to quantify ethanol concentrations in canned products. The EN sniffed the belly cavity and distinguished the degrees of spoilage of whole pink salmon with 85-92% correct classification for both storage temperatures. However, the EN was unable to distinguish the spoilage in canned salmon, regardless of original storage temperature. Ethanol concentrations in salmon cans produced from fish stored at 14°C correlated well with results from sensory evaluations, but this correlation was not observed for fish stored at 1°C. Ethanol was a suitable quality indicator for canned salmon when raw material had been stored at 14°C.