Abstract

Dried fish is a rich source of protein and other nutrients but is highly susceptible to spoilage by moulds. The objective of this study was to develop smoke-flavour antimicrobial packaging from coconut fibre made from Litsea cubeba oil (LC) at 0.03%, 0.06%, and 0.09%w/w combined with wood smoking (WS) for 30, 45, and 60 min. Results showed that the developed packaging containing 0.06% LC and WS for 60 min could completely inhibit growth of spoilage mould and mould disease (Aspergillus niger) on dried fish. In addition, smoke flavour and LC vapour from the treated packaging could be absorbed into the surface of dried fish, improving its organoleptic properties and consumer satisfaction. Furthermore, treated dried fish kept in the developed packaging had a smoky flavour similar to smoked fish (p > 0.05). Use of the developed packaging reduced microbial load and extended the shelf life of dried fish stored at 30 ± 2 °C from five days to 21 days. The dried fish kept in the packaging showed no significant polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, compared to traditional smoked fish (p < 0.05). The physicochemical properties (pH, a<inf>w</inf>, L*a*b* value and hardness) of dried fish decreased during storage but remained at an acceptable level. Citral and limonene were found to be the main active compounds from the LC essential oil that inhibit mould growth. This finding suggested that keeping dried fish in the developed packaging could improve its organoleptic properties, reduce growth of microbial organisms and extend its shelf-life by a factor of three compared to the control. This could be extremely beneficial for the dried fish industry.