Effects of extremely low frequency pulsed electric field (ELF-PEF) on the quality and microstructure of tilapia during cold storage

Effects of extremely low frequency pulsed electric field (ELF-PEF) on the total volatile basic nitrogen (TVB-N), thiobarbituric acid reactive substance (TBARS), total microorganism number, protein oxidation and denaturation, enzymatic activity, microstructure, and sensory quality of tilapia fillets during cold storage at 4°C for 6 days are evaluated. The results show that the TVB-N value and total microorganism number in the treated group are within the international standard (< 20 mg/100 g, < 7 log 10  CFU/g) during the storage, and the shelf-life of the treated group is extended by 1 - 2 days as compared with the control. In addition, ELF-PEF treatment inhibits sample quality deterioration during storage, as reflected by a small change in colour, slow softening of texture, less protein oxidation and denaturation, lower endogenous enzyme activity, and tighter microstructure compared to the control, indicating the promising of ELF-PEF treatments for fish preservation during cold storage.