Portable Electronic Nose for Detection of Spoiling Alaska Pink Salmon ( Oncorhynchus gorbuscha )

The ability of a portable hand‐held electronic nose (EN) in detecting spoilage of whole Alaska pink salmon ( Oncorhynchus gorbuscha ) stored at 14 °C and in slush ice (1 °C) was investigated. Fish were sampled daily at 14 °C for up to 3 d, while fish stored in slush ice were sampled at various intervals up to 16 d. Sensory evaluations indicated that fish were rejected at day 3 when stored at 14 °C and at day 12 when stored in slush ice. Aerobic bacteria counts for fish skin at 14 °C ranged from 3.4 log 10 colony‐forming units (CFU)/cm 2 (day 0) to 4.8 log 10 CFU/cm 2 (day 3) and for fish stored in slush ice ranged from 3.4 log 10 CFU/cm 2 (day 0) to 5.5 log 10 CFU/cm 2 (day 16). The correct classification rate using forward stepwise general discriminate analysis was 85% and 92% for EN analysis of belly cavity volatiles for fish held at 14 °C and in slush ice, respectively. A predictive model may be developed for spoilage of whole Alaska pink salmon by analyzing belly cavity odors using the EN.