Good handling practices of the catch: The effect of early icing on the freshness quality of cuttlefish (Sepia officinalis L.)

Three postharvest icing treatments were implemented on cuttlefish specimens (overall number = 243) after they were hauled onboard: T1-ICO, storage under a 15-mm-thick layer of contact crushed freshwater ice; T2-ICA, storage over a 15-mm-thick layer of contact crushed freshwater ice; T3-NOI, storage without any contact ice, but placed over a 15-mm-thick layer of contact crushed freshwater ice once ashore. All storage trials (n = 6) were conducted at 2 ± 2 °C and were terminated on the sixth day of storage because the aim of the study was to evaluate the effect of realistic icing practices on the freshness quality and shelf -life of cuttlefish, as assessed by sensory (a non-destructive Quality Index Method, QIM), physical (dielectric properties through the Fish Freshness Meter, “295 - Torrymeter”) and chemical (the breakdown products of adenosine 5′-triphosphate, or ATP, as well as relevant ratios among them) methods.The early use of contact ice, either above (T1-ICO) or underneath (T2-ICA) single-layered cuttlefish placed in self-draining polystyrene boxes, was able to slow down ATP degradation. Nevertheless, because three visual traits were significantly worsened in the former treatment, the T2-ICA treatment was suggested as the most proper icing procedure for this cephalopod. The Torrymeter readings had no utility either for predicting the cuttlefish actual/remaining shelf-life for each icing treatment, or for discriminating among them. The percentage ratio between hypoxanthine (Hx) and adenosine 5′-monophosphate (AMP) proved to be the chemical index most highly correlated with ice days. A useful, non-destructive, QIM scheme for cuttlefish was successfully tried and tested in the process.

► Postharvest icing of cuttlefish still a controversial issue among Italian fishermen. ► Early over ice storage slows down ATP degradation compared to the “No-ice” option. ► The same keeps cuttlefish visual traits in better conditions than covering with ice. ► (Hx/AMP) × 100 is the Freshness indicator best correlated with cuttlefish ice days. ► Proved the validity of a shortened and non-destructive QIM scheme for cuttlefish.