The effect of mincing method on the quality of refrigerated whiting burgers

Different mincing methods in the preparation of refrigerated whiting burgers had a significant effect on the products' quality during storage ( P  < 0.05). The burgers containing pre-cooked mince products (PCMP) had the lowest microbial load with longest sensory shelf life (10 days). Oven drying of dry ingredients with subsequent hygienic practices markedly decreased microbial load in final products, from 5.30 to <1.47 log CFU g⁻¹ for PCMP, 5.80–2.45 log CFU g⁻¹ for washed mince products (WMP), 5.65–2.14 log CFU g⁻¹ for unwashed mince products. The lowest trimethylamine and total volatile basic nitrogen (TVB-N) were observed with WMP reaching 14.7 and 42.03 mg per 100 g, respectively, at the end of storage. The differences in average surface colours of samples with different preparations and different additives were significant after mincing, but decreased after addition of ingredients, and after cooking. This study indicates the possibility of using pre-cooking as a method for formulated fish mince-based products as it had the highest consumer acceptance as well as longer sensory shelf life despite its higher values of trimethylamine and TVB-N compared with WMP.