Application of UV-C light to improve safety and overall quality of fish: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Abstract Background UV-C light is a promising non-thermal preservation technology for fish industries due to its ease and low-cost regarding installation and maintenance. Moreover, this technology can ensure food safety and extend the fish's shelf life without adverse effects of physicochemical and sensory characteristics when adequate doses are applied. However, these aspects are the main gap in literature and challenge for industrial application. In this context, this study aimed to propose UV-C doses for application in fishery industries based on evaluation of their effects on pathogens reduction and overall quality parameters in fish stored at 4 ± 1 °C for 6 ± 2 days. Scope and approach A systematic literature search, restricted to English research articles from 2000 to 2020, was performed in four databases (Science Direct, Web of Science, Scopus, and PubMed). Among retrieved articles (n = 1096), 21 were eligible for qualitative analysis, and 19 were eligible for meta-analysis. Key findings and conclusions All microbial groups were reduced as UV-C dose increased. Low (0.05–0.16 J/cm2) and high (0.30–0.79 J/cm2) doses decreased the bacterial growth rate by about 10 % and 50 %, respectively, and effectively retarded overall protein degradation during storage. Lipid and protein oxidation were increased in 6 % and 7 %, and in 13 % and 20 % by low (0.05–0.16 J/cm2) and high (0.30–0.79 or about 0.30 J/cm2) doses, respectively. UV-C doses of about 0.1 J/cm2 and ranging from 0.30 to 0.79 J/cm2 improved the safety and extended the shelf life of refrigerated fish in 2 and 6 days, respectively; however, a combination with free radical scavenger agents is needed to mitigate the oxidative degradation and makes feasible the application of high UV-C doses (>0.30 J/cm2) in fishery industries.