BIVALVE HARVESTING, TRANSPORT AND PACKAGING: HOW TO IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF PRODUCT IN CONSUMERS TABLE

Marine bivalves consumption and production has substantially increased in recent years.  However, harvesting is still carried out using artisanal techniques. Usually, bivalves are harvested to net bags and remain outside water, exposed to air and temperature fluctuations, for a few hours . T emperature fluctuations can induce thermal and oxidative stress and, ultimately, lipid peroxidation ( LPO) and cellular damage.  These alterations  can influence the energy budget and induce mortality during the depuration and commercialization processes, reducing product  quality and shelf life. Moreover, LPO is usually associated with quality losses and organoleptic alterations, which may depreciate the product.

Therefore, we aimed to evaluate the effect of different methodologies of bivalve harvesting , assessing survival, oxidative stress and damage, during depuration and shelf life of cockles (Cerastoderma edule ): i)  harvested with  conventional methods -temperature variations (16 - 22 ºC); and ii) bivalve harvesting to refrigerated containers (6 ± 1 ºC) and transport (approximately 3 h) under controlled temperature conditions to depuration center. After 24 h depuration, bivalves of the two groups were packaged and stored for 6 days at 5 ±  1 ºC, to simulate the conditions during commercialization period. S amples of edible tissue were immediately frozen in liquid nitrogen and kept at -80 ºC until LPO analyses by spectrophotometry. Comet assay was performed to evaluate the DNA damage .

Cockles transported in a cooler environment presented lower levels  of DNA damage (Fig. 1). Transport post harvesting in cooler conditions seemed to increase the quality of cockles until 6 days  of shelf life, as lipid peroxidation (LPO) of  C. edule was lower in these condition.

Harvested and transport of C. edule in a cooled environment seems to be an effective measure to minimize stress, related with handling procedures, and assure the better quality of the final product.

FIGURE 1. DNA damage (GDI values) and lipid peroxidation (LPO)  of Cerastoderma edule harvested and transport in normal conditions (black ) and in isothermal boxes with cool packs (grey ), from harvesting to 6 days of shelf life period. *statistical significant differences between groups.

H arvested and t ransport of  C. edule in a cooled environment seems to be an effective measure to minimize stress, related with handling procedures, and assure the better quality of the final product.