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New Strategies to Improve the Quality and Safety of Seafoods...
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New Strategies to Improve the Quality and Safety of Seafoods and the Efficient Utilization of Their By-Products

A special issue of Foods (ISSN 2304-8158). This special issue belongs to the section "Foods of Marine Origin".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 April 2025) | Viewed by 2585

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Xichang Wang

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
College of Food Science and Technology, Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai, China
Interests: aquatic products; high quality processing; high value utilization; nutrition
Dr. Mingyu Yin

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor Assistant
College of Food Science and Technology, Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai, China
Interests: aquatic products; high quality processing; lipids; nutrition

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

With the continuous improvement of people's living standards, the demand for seafood continues to grow. However, problems such as uneven quality of seafood, safety hazards, and massive waste of by-products are becoming more and more prominent. Improving the quality and safety of seafood is not only related to the health of consumers, but also the basis for the sustainable development of the industry. At the same time, effective utilization of seafood by-products can reduce the waste of resources, create new economic value, and realize environmentally friendly development. Innovative processing technologies and methods to improve the quality of seafood and ensure its compliance with stringent safety standards are important themes. The development of efficient ways of utilizing seafood by-products to enhance resource utilization is also welcome.

Prof. Dr. Xichang Wang
Guest Editor

Dr. Mingyu Yin
Guest Editor Assistant

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Foods is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2900 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • aquatic production
  • high-quality processing
  • by-product utilization

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Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

19 pages, 3772 KiB  
Article
Fermentation Preparation of Umami Sauce and Peptides from Kelp Scraps by Natural Microbial Flora
by Jizi Huang, Ruimei Wu, Yijing Wu, Feiyang Liang, Yiming Chen, Fujia Yang, Huawei Zheng, Zonghua Wang, Huibin Xu, Songbiao Chen and Guangshan Yao
Foods 2025, 14(10), 1751; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods14101751 - 15 May 2025
Abstract
Kelp (Laminaria japonica) is renowned for its rich content of flavor-enhancing amino acids and nucleotides; however, approximately 40% of kelp, including the thin edges and root areas, is discarded during its processing due to its inferior taste. To recycle these kelp [...] Read more.
Kelp (Laminaria japonica) is renowned for its rich content of flavor-enhancing amino acids and nucleotides; however, approximately 40% of kelp, including the thin edges and root areas, is discarded during its processing due to its inferior taste. To recycle these kelp byproducts, we have cultivated a functional microbial consortium through continuous enrichment. Analysis via 16S rRNA sequencing has shown that during the three fed-batch fermentation stages of kelp waste, the microbial community was predominantly and consistently composed of three phyla: Halanaerobiaeota, Bacteroidota, and Proteobacteria. At the genus level, Halanaerobium emerged as the dominant player, exhibiting a trend of initial increase followed by a decline throughout the fermentation process. Enzymes such as alginate lyases and both acidic and neutral proteases were found to play crucial roles in the degradation of kelp residues into sauces. Notably, electronic tongue analysis revealed that the fermented kelp sauce demonstrated strong umami characteristics. Furthermore, four novel umami peptides, EIL, STEV, GEEE, and SMEAVEA, from kelp were identified for the first time, with their umami effect largely attributed to strong hydrogen bond interactions with the T1R1–T1R3 umami receptors. In conclusion, this study proposed a sustainable method for kelp by-product utilization, with implications for other seaweed processing. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Strategies to Improve the Quality and Safety of Seafoods and the Efficient Utilization of Their By-Products)
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22 pages, 6560 KiB  
Article
Impact of Steam Processing on the Physicochemical Properties and Flavor Profile of Takifugu flavidus: A Comprehensive Quality Evaluation
by Zhihui Liu, Xiaoting Chen, Bei Chen, Yinghong Qu, Haiyan Tang, Ruowen Wu, Kun Qiao, Yongchang Su, Nan Pan, Tingru Chen, Wenzheng Shi and Zhiyu Liu
Foods 2025, 14(9), 1537; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods14091537 - 27 Apr 2025
Viewed by 244
Abstract
As a culturally iconic Chinese delicacy, pufferfish lacks systematic research on thermal processing optimization and pre-cooked meal development, limiting its industrial standardization and quality preservation. This study aimed to bridge this gap by evaluating steaming effects on Takifugu flavidus quality. This study systematically [...] Read more.
As a culturally iconic Chinese delicacy, pufferfish lacks systematic research on thermal processing optimization and pre-cooked meal development, limiting its industrial standardization and quality preservation. This study aimed to bridge this gap by evaluating steaming effects on Takifugu flavidus quality. This study systematically evaluated its physicochemical properties and flavor profiles under different steaming durations by determining the water loss rate, mass loss rate, water distribution status, textural properties, color, and free amino acid content using an electronic nose, electronic tongue, and headspace gas chromatography-ion mobility spectrometry (HS-GC-IMS). The results indicated that the core temperature of the fish meat reached 70 °C after 9 min of steaming. With higher steaming time, its mass loss rate and water loss rate generally increased, though the water loss rate temporarily decreased at 10 min. The mass loss rate stabilized after 12.5 min. The hardness and chewiness of the fish meat increased significantly when steamed for 12.5 min or longer. After 5 min of steaming, the brightness value and yellow-blue value of the fish meat significantly increased, whereas the red-green value significantly decreased. The total free amino acid content showed a fluctuating upward trend and electronic tongue analysis revealed an increase in umami and richness after steaming. Electronic nose and HS-GC-IMS analyses demonstrated that the variety and content of volatile flavor compounds significantly increased with prolonged steaming. Sensory evaluation showed that the 10 min steaming group exhibited better texture and color, while the 15 min steaming group had the best odor. Therefore, the optimal steaming time for T. flavidus was determined to be 10–15 min. For home cooking, a 15 min steaming process achieves the peak abundance of flavor compounds and the highest sensory evaluation score. For the industrial production of pre-cooked meals, a 10 min steaming process can meet the doneness requirements while maintaining suitable textural properties and color stability. The findings of this study not only advance the scientific understanding of thermal processing effects on pufferfish quality attributes, but also establish a critical technological foundation for developing standardized industrial processing protocols and high-quality pre-prepared pufferfish products. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Strategies to Improve the Quality and Safety of Seafoods and the Efficient Utilization of Their By-Products)
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18 pages, 13036 KiB  
Article
Genomic Analysis of Two Histamine-Producing Strains Isolated from Yellowfin Tuna
by Yazhe Wang, Di Wang, Shengjun Chen, Gang Yu, Zhenhua Ma, Ya Wei, Chunsheng Li, Yueqi Wang, Chaoming Shen and Yongqiang Zhao
Foods 2025, 14(9), 1532; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods14091532 - 27 Apr 2025
Viewed by 236
Abstract
Psychrotrophic Morganella spp. is a typical histamine producer commonly found in seafood, exhibiting a high histamine-producing capacity. In this study, two strains of Morganella (GWT 902 and GWT 904) isolated from yellowfin tuna were subjected to phenotypic and genotypic characterization. Phenotypic analysis reveals [...] Read more.
Psychrotrophic Morganella spp. is a typical histamine producer commonly found in seafood, exhibiting a high histamine-producing capacity. In this study, two strains of Morganella (GWT 902 and GWT 904) isolated from yellowfin tuna were subjected to phenotypic and genotypic characterization. Phenotypic analysis reveals differences in growth temperature, NaCl tolerance, and D-galactose fermentation capacity between the two strains. Notably, the histamine production capacity of GWT 902 is significantly higher than that of GWT 904 at 4 °C. The complete genome sequences of strains GWT 902 and GWT 904 were sequenced, identifying GWT 902 as Morganella psychrotolerans and GWT 904 as Morganella morganii subsp. sibonii. Genomic analysis confirms the presence of histidine decarboxylase gene clusters (hdcT1, hdc, hdcT2, hisRS) in both strains, and sequence alignment shows that the amino acid sequence similarity of histidine decarboxylase encoded by the hdc gene was 95.24%. Gene function analysis further identified genes associated with putrescine biosynthesis, sulfur metabolism, lipase and protease secretion, and detected key genes in quorum sensing (QS), stress adaptation, and antibiotic resistance. This study provides valuable insights into the taxonomic analysis of psychrotrophic Morganella spp. and contributes to the development of efficient strategies for preventing histamine formation in seafood. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Strategies to Improve the Quality and Safety of Seafoods and the Efficient Utilization of Their By-Products)
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15 pages, 3539 KiB  
Article
Peptides from Mackerel Skin Prepared by the Mixed Proteases: Fractionation, Characterization and Bioactivities
by Yichen Zhu, Leyi Zheng, Lei Gu, Yijiao Qiao and Changhua Xu
Foods 2025, 14(6), 1009; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods14061009 - 16 Mar 2025
Viewed by 450
Abstract
Mackerel is widely favored by consumers as a high-yield, delicious marine fish. However, by-products generated during its processing, such as fish skins, are often underutilized, resulting in significant resource waste. This study aimed to extract high-activity mackerel protein peptides (HA-MPPs) from mackerel skins [...] Read more.
Mackerel is widely favored by consumers as a high-yield, delicious marine fish. However, by-products generated during its processing, such as fish skins, are often underutilized, resulting in significant resource waste. This study aimed to extract high-activity mackerel protein peptides (HA-MPPs) from mackerel skins through targeted enzymatic hydrolysis (using a composite protease). The peptides were purified using ultrafiltration and HPLC, and their biological activity was evaluated through infrared imaging and antioxidant assays. Mass spectrometry identified the main peptide fragments (P1, P2, and P3). The optimal conditions for enzymatic hydrolysis were 0.22% enzyme concentration, a 2.03 h hydrolysis time, 55.05 °C, and a 1:3 solid-to-liquid ratio, yielding 59.66%. Infrared imaging showed that HA-MPPs exhibited significant biological repair activities, penetrating the hair cuticle to restore keratin and enhance hair strength. Additionally, antioxidant assays confirmed their abilities to reduce oxidative damage. This study presents a novel method for the targeted enzymatic extraction of HA-MPPs from mackerel by-products and the high-value utilization of their biological activity. It also demonstrates the potential of these peptides in hair repair, providing a theoretical foundation for the future development of hair care products with reparative functions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Strategies to Improve the Quality and Safety of Seafoods and the Efficient Utilization of Their By-Products)
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16 pages, 4731 KiB  
Article
Impact of Dehydration Processing on Scallop (Patinopecten yessoensis) Adductor Muscle: Structural and Oxidative Insights
by Huaqiong Li, Yulong Zhao, Jian Shi, Manat Chaijan, Xichang Wang and Mingyu Yin
Foods 2025, 14(6), 948; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods14060948 - 11 Mar 2025
Viewed by 644
Abstract
This study investigated the impact of four drying techniques—hot air drying (HAD), vacuum hot air drying (VFAD), microwave drying (MWD), and vacuum freeze-drying (VFD)—on the structural, physicochemical, and functional properties of scallop adductor muscles, a critical marine resource in the food industry. The [...] Read more.
This study investigated the impact of four drying techniques—hot air drying (HAD), vacuum hot air drying (VFAD), microwave drying (MWD), and vacuum freeze-drying (VFD)—on the structural, physicochemical, and functional properties of scallop adductor muscles, a critical marine resource in the food industry. The results demonstrated that VFD optimally preserved the ultrastructural integrity of the tissue, maintaining its surface fibrous architecture and achieving a superior recovery ration (78%) and rehydration ration (186.5%) compared to HAD, VFAD, and MWD. While the zeta potential remained statistically invariant across methods, HAD induced the largest particle agglomeration, followed by MWD. Notably, VFD enhanced protein stability, increasing the sulfhydryl content by 163.2% and reducing carbonyl formation by 48.1% relative to HAD, whereas MWD had the opposite effect. Multispectral analyses revealed the severe disruption of protein secondary and tertiary structures after MWD, while VFD minimized conformational denaturation. Statistical modeling ranked the drying sensitivity parameters as follows: surface hydrophobicity > hardness> β-turn content > dityrosine crosslinking > transverse relaxation time T23. These findings underscore VFD as the optimal method for mitigating structural degradation and oxidative damage in scallop processing, providing actionable insights to enhance the technofunctional quality of shelf-stable scallop products. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Strategies to Improve the Quality and Safety of Seafoods and the Efficient Utilization of Their By-Products)
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16 pages, 3918 KiB  
Article
The Mechanism of Quality Changes in Grass Carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella) During Vacuum-Assisted Salting Brining with Physicochemical and Microstructural View
by Jianrong Ma, Jian Shi, Ruiying Lv, Xin Jiang, Qingqing Jiang, Dajun Wang, Shumin Zhang and Wenzheng Shi
Foods 2025, 14(4), 657; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods14040657 - 15 Feb 2025
Viewed by 472
Abstract
This study investigated the effects of vacuum impregnation (V) and atmospheric pressure impregnation (C) on the quality and microstructure of grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella) fillets during a 120 min brining period under 5.8% NaCl (w/v) and 4 [...] Read more.
This study investigated the effects of vacuum impregnation (V) and atmospheric pressure impregnation (C) on the quality and microstructure of grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella) fillets during a 120 min brining period under 5.8% NaCl (w/v) and 4 °C. Vacuum impregnation significantly enhanced brining efficiency, achieving higher salt content (2.01%) and accelerated mass transfer kinetics, as evidenced by Peleg model parameters. Both treatments improved the water-holding capacity (WHC), increasing from 80.16% to 91.47% (C) and 89.92% (V), while reducing free water proportion. A microstructural analysis revealed a reduction in extracellular space in fillets, which further affected the fillet WHC and texture. Vacuum brining also mitigated lipid oxidation, yielding lower thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances (TBARSs: 0.237 mg MDA/kg). Texture analysis indicated reduced hardness and increased springiness/cohesiveness in fillets. Despite a slight decrease in lightness, vacuum-assisted brining preserved sensory quality and aligned with low-salt dietary trends. These findings underscore vacuum technology’s potential to optimize brining efficiency and product quality in industrial applications. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Strategies to Improve the Quality and Safety of Seafoods and the Efficient Utilization of Their By-Products)
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