Mussel (Perna perna) Processing by an Alternative Method and Packaging Under Modified Atmosphere to Improve Physicochemical and Microbiological Characteristics

An alternative method was proposed to cook shucked Perna perna mussel using an integrated cooking and vacuum-cooling system. The pasteurized samples were stored for 25 days at 3C under modified atmosphere (MAP) of 50% CO2/50% N2. Physicochemical and microbiological characteristics were evaluated over 25 days for the conventional (CP) and alternative processing (AP). Physicochemical characteristics showed no significant change over the period. Water loss was greater for AP (58.23%) than CP (13.6%) resulting in a product without exudation during storage. Vibrio spp. was detected only in fresh mussels and was eliminated during the heat treatment without recontamination after processing. The counts of mesophilic and psychrotrophic microorganisms decreased after the heat treatment and during storage; the average count was 102 CFU/g at the end of 25 days. The AP combined with the modified atmosphere was efficient to control exudation and microbiota of mussels stored over 25 days. Practical Application: The shelf life of raw mussels is restricted to 2 days, and the cross-contamination during mussel processing is a reality in countries such as Brazil. Thus, an alternative process is presented in this study to improve the processing and storage conditions of cooked mussels that could be applied by seafood processing industries so that the cooked mussels have lower microbiological count beyond 15 days when compared to the conventional process