Shelf-life dating of fish meats in terms of oxidative rancidity as measured by chemiluminescence

Chemiluminescence of fresh minced meats of six fish species was measured in order to examine the applicability of chemiluminescence in the prediction of shelf life. The chemiluminescence intensity of fresh fish meats was increased in proportion to the measuring temperature and differed significantly among fish meats. The shelf life of fish meats was estimated based on oxidative deterioration as measured by peroxide, carbonyl and thiobarbituric acid values, as well as sensory evaluation during storage of the fish meats at 0°C. It was observed that the shelf life of minced fish meats as judged by oxidative deterioration significantly correlated with chemiluminescence intensity of the fresh meats. The chemiluminescence method was shown to be very available for the prediction of the shelf life of fish meat.