Flavor chemistry and seafood quality factors

Recent advances in the understanding of the health-related benefits of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids have enhanced the consumer image of fish and seafoods. While future markets for seafoods appear extremely bright, this great potential will be realized only of products with fresh, mild flavors are provided to consumers. New discoveries about the chemical nature of fish flavors have provided important insights into the processes which yield delicate fresh fish and seafood flavors as well as those which are associated with staling and seafood spoilage. This information is needed to guide the development of safe new preservation technologies, such as modified atmosphere packaging of fresh refrigerated fish. spoilage odors is encountered in modified atmosphere packaged fish, and potential hazards arise from botulinal food poisoning in temperature-abused products. Thus, alternate means of detecting handling abuse is a requirement for the introduction of this new technology. of aroma compounds for this and other purposes are discussed in relation to spoilage and fishy flavors.