Effect of Heat Processing on the Quality of Ready-to-Eat Stinky Mandarin Fish and Estimation of the Associated Real-Time Shelf-Life Under Different Storage Temperatures

Background: Stinky mandarin fish (SMF) is a quintessential representative of traditional Chinese fermented fish products. With the advancement and widespread promotion of ready-to-eat (RTE) products, SMF is gradually transitioning from a regional catering product to a daily mass consumption food. However, the current literature is limited by a lack of systematic studies on the patterns of quality changes in RTE SMF during heat processing and storage at different temperatures. Methods: This study systematically analyzed quality changes in RTE SMF subjected to heat processing, specifically frying and sterilization, as well as storage at 20, 30, and 40 ℃. Results: The optimal deep-frying conditions for RTE SMF were determined to be 200 ℃ for 3.5 min. Under these conditions, the product exhibited a moderate moisture content, a relatively low oil content, an appealing color. Moreover, the most favorable texture properties of RTE SMF were achieved through thermal sterilization at 115 ℃ for 14 min. TVB-N (total volatile basic nitrogen) was identified as the key indicator for predicting the shelf life of RTE SMF. Thus, a predictive model based on this indicator was successfully established and showed good agreement with the measured values, with the absolute relative error ranging from 3.19% to 6.74%. Conclusions: In summary, this study provides valuable data and a theoretical foundation for the further development of RTE SMF.