Whole ungutted pota and octopus were stored in bulk in stainless steel refrigerated containers under controlled atmospheres. In order to evaluate the effectiveness of this treatment, physicochemical tests (pH, trimethylamine nitrogen, total volatile basic nitrogen, 2-thiobarbituric acid) and sensory assessments (inspection) were done. For both pota and octopus, the control lot had the highest physicochemical values and the lowest sensory values, and of the two assayed atmospheres, the 60/15/25% atmosphere (CO2/O2/N2) had the best physicochemical results. pH, trimethylamine nitrogen, and total volatile basic nitrogen levels were lower (P ≤ 0.05) in octopus than in pota, and the inspection results were significantly (P ≤ 0.05) higher. However, the octopus had a higher 2-thiobarbituric acid index than the pota. Therefore, the application of controlled atmospheres on these cephalopods during chilled bulk storage considerably increases their shelf life.

Peer Reviewed