Combined effects of pectin–plant essential oil coating with vacuum packaging on the quality of large yellow croaker (Pseudosciaena crocea) during iced storage

Abstract The study investigated the effects of pectin–plant essential oil coating combined with vacuum packaging on Pseudosciaena crocea during iced storage. Samples were immersed in sterile water (CK), 25% ethanol (E), pectin + 0.4% oregano essential oil (PO), and pectin + 0.4% ginger essential oil (PG), respectively. The results showed that compared with the CK group, PO and PG coatings could effectively inhibit the increase of total viable counts (TVC) and H 2 S‐producing bacteria counts by 1.25–1.64 log CFU/g and 1.18–1.37 log CFU/g, respectively. Meanwhile, PO and PG treatments could delay the increase of pH, thiobarbituric acid (TBA), and total volatile basic nitrogen (TVB‐N) value, which also inhibited the degradation rate of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) in fish. When samples treated with PO and PG, the shelf‐life of Pseudosciaena crocea could increase from 20 to 27 days and 24 days, respectively, which indicated that the combination of pectin–plant essential oil coating with vacuum packaging is a promising method for the preservation of Pseudosciaena crocea .