The Quality Changes of Songpu Mirror Carp (Cyprinus carpio) during Partial Freezing and Chilled Storage

In order to understand the effects of partial freezing (at −3C) and chilled (at 3C) storage on quality of Songpu mirror carp (Cyprinus carpio) fillets, total aerobic count (TAC), K value, adenosine triphosphate and related compounds, total volatile base nitrogen (TVB-N), drip loss, electric conductivity (EC), and sensory scores of Songpu mirror carp fillets were investigated. According to sensory scores, shelf life of fillets at 3C and −3C were 9 days and 21 days, respectively. TAC of fillets was 7.12 and 3.70 log cfu/g at 3 and −3C on the ninth day, respectively. The TVB-N of fillets was 13.72% on the sixth day at 3C and 13.98% on the 30th day at −3C. The EC of fillets under both conditions showed no significant difference (P > 0.05). Additionally, K value was not suitable for evaluating freshness changes of Songpu mirror carp. Partial freezing could extend shelf life more effectively than chilled storage. Practical Applications The study investigated the effects of partial freezing and chilled storage on the quality of Songpu mirror carp fillets. Partial freezing storage could extend 2.3 times of shelf life of Songpu mirror carp compared with chilled storage. If shorter shelf life of up to 9 days for Songpu mirror carp is required, chilled storage was better than partial freezing storage. At the requirement of 9–21 days of storage, partial freezing was favorable.