Title: Characterization of sensory indices of Artic char (Salvelinus alpinus) and determination of the shelf life

Sensory indexes of Artic Charr (Salvelinus alpinus) in ice were characterized to analyse and define the parameters to be used in the development of a Quality Index Method (QIM) scheme for the species. The shelf life of artic charr in ice was determined using sensory, chemical and microbial analysis.

Artic charr was stored in ice for 21 days, and changes during storage were observed with sensory evaluation using the Quality Index Method (QIM) and Quantitative Descriptive Analysis (QDA) as well as total viable counts (TVC), hydrogen sulfide (H2S) producing bacteria, total volatile nitrogen (TVN) and pH measurements.

The QIM developed for whole raw artic charr consists of 10 parameters, grouped in four main categories, resulting in a total of 21 demerit points. A high correlation between QI and storage time in ice was found. Storage time could be predicted to approximately 14-17 days in ice. TVC and H2S- producing bacteria increased exponentially with storage after eight days in ice, but at the end of storage their values were not high. TVN and pH measurements were useless as a spoilage indicator for artic charr.