DEVELOPMENT, OPTIMIZATION, AND SHELF-LIFE STUDY OF ‘FISH JELLY’ FROM HILSA (Tenualosa ilisha): NUTRITIONAL, SENSORY, AND MICROBIOLOGICAL EVALUATION

Abstract

Hilsa (Tenualosa ilisha) is a highly prized and nutritionally rich fish species found in South Asia's rivers and coastal regions. Food innovation and value addition are becoming increasingly important in the current era. Developing a "Fish Jelly" derived from Hilsa can be a unique and innovative product that caters to the growing demand for convenient and nutritious seafood items. Hilsa meat is carefully processed to extract the purest form of fish protein to develop fish jelly. Subsequently, innovative techniques are employed to create a jelly-like texture that preserves the flavor, aroma, and nutritional value of Hilsa. In case of sensory attributes evaluation, higher values were recorded for all three jellies when stored in refrigerated condition compared to those stored in ambient temperature. Significantly higher protein, lipid and ash contents was recorded in product-03 (FJ₃) as 4.0%, product-01 (FJ₁) as 26.9% and product-03 (FJ₃) as 2.79%, respectively. Alongside, all three jellies were reported to have rich and diversified fatty acid profile. Since the acceptable limit for total bacterial count is ≤105 CFU/gm, all three jellies remained safe for consumption for up to 45 days when stored at ambient temperature and when stored in refrigerated temperature, FJ₂ jellies were found satisfactory for up to 90 days, while FJ₁ and FJ₃ jellies remained satisfactory for up to 135 days. The findings of this study have the potential to introduce a unique and value-added seafood product to the market, promoting the sustainable utilization of Hilsa fish resources and diversifying the product range for the seafood industry.