Influence of packaging on the shelf life of frozen foods II: Baltic herring fillets

The influence of packaging and storage conditions on the shelf life of fillets of Baltic herring was studied. Packaging affected the quality under all storage conditions studied particularly under retailing conditions. Under conditions simulating frozen storage, the shelf life in vacuum packages of low oxygen and water vapour permeability was twice that in cardboard packages. Under storage conditions in an open retail display cabinet, protection against the chemical and temperature-elevating effects of light and infra-red radiation was found to be essential for good shelf stability. In a vacuum package covered with metallized cardboard the shelf life was at least twice that in a vacuum package without covering.