Maintaining Quality and Extending Shelf –Life of Tilapia Oreochromis Niloticus Fish during Storage at 4 ̊C

Keeping food quality among consumers is of high importance. In this study in order to maintain and improve the quality of fish meat, effect of pretreatment with polyphosphates have profound effects on the functional properties of the food products. Experiments were carried out to avoid drip during storage of Tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus)fish under modified atmosphere packaging (MAP).The results showed that Tilapia fish pretreatment with 2% solution of sodium tripolyphosphate (STPP) combined with modified atmosphere packaging (90% CO2+10% O2) was more effective than other treatments in reduction of microbial counts (psychrotrophic, Enterobacteriacae) and keeping quality of fish. Physicochemical of fish samples showed that pH values, total volatile bases nitrogen (TVB-N) values and thiobarbituric acid,( TBA mg malonaldehyde/kg ) were ranged between 6.316.61, 10.38 25.10 and 0.55 -1.98 mg malonaldehyde/kg during 15 days of storage at 4 ̊C, respectively . The data revealed that pretreatment of tilapia with STPP prior to keeping in MAP effectively retarded the exudates loss(as drip loss) and improved the physicochemical properties of tilapia during storage at 4 ̊C compared with samples stored in air and those kept under (MAP) only.