Characterization of temperature and quality changes in african catfish (clarias gariepinus) during domestic refrigeration

¹ Research Center for Food Technology and Processing, National Research and Innovation Agency of Indonesia, Gunungkidul 55861, Indonesia
² Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Gadjah Mada University, Sleman 55281, Indonesia
³ Research Centre for Marine and Land Bioindustry, National Research and Innovation Agency, Mataram, 83352, Indonesia

^* Corresponding author: ahmat.fauzi@gmail.com

Abstract

Fish is now one of the most popular and nutritious foods. In Indonesia, fish consumption has risen by 7.4% annually, from 38.14 to 54.5 kg per capita between 2014 and 2019. African catfish (Clarias gariepinus) is one of the most commonly consumed fish, often stored in household refrigerators. However, detailed studies on the temperature and quality changes of fish during refrigeration are limited. This study aims to explore the characterization of the temperature and quality changes of African catfish during storage in household refrigerators. In this experiment, the fish were stored in three compartments of the refrigerator: freezing (R1), chilling 1 (R2), and chilling 2 (R3), for a duration of three days. The temperature of both the fish and the refrigerator compartments was measured every 15 seconds. Additionally, electrical current was monitored to assess energy consumption. The quality of the fish, including total volatile basic nitrogen (TVB-N), moisture content, protein content, and mass (weight loss) was analyzed before and after the storage period. The refrigerator was also subjected to door-opening treatments to observe any impact. The study provides detailed insights into the temperature dynamics of African catfish, the room temperature inside the refrigerator, cooling times, fish quality changes (TVB-N, moisture, protein, mass), energy consumption, and the effect of refrigerator door openings.