Quality Index Method (QIM) for ice stored gutted Amazonian Pintado (Pseudoplatystoma fasciatum × Leiarius marmoratus) and estimation of shelf life

Abstract This study aimed to develop a Quality Index Method (QIM) for ice stored gutted Amazonian Pintado ( Pseudoplatystoma fasciatum  ×  Leiarius marmoratus ), and estimate its shelf life of gutted fish samples during 30 days of storage analyzing periodically microbiological (heterotrophic aerobic psychrotrophic bacteria, heterotrophic aerobic mesophilic bacteria), chemical (TVB-N, pH, TBARs) and sensory (Quality Index Method protocol) characteristics. Partial least squares regression was used to correlate the QIM attributes, and linear regression analysis was used to check the variables as a function of storage time. The QIM scheme was developed based on 18 demerit points, in which zero indicates total freshness. From the integration of sensory, microbiological, and physicochemical data, it was possible to estimate that the shelf life of ice stored gutted Amazonian Pintado is 12 days.