Abstract:In order to analyze the quality status and existing problems (loss of juice, discoloration of meat, change in taste, etc) of frozen scallops sold in Shanghai, we explored the quality evaluation methods of frozen scallops in the market and the key factors that lead to their quality deterioration during frozen storage. In this study, 11 kinds of frozen scallop products sold in Shanghai supermarkets were sampled based on 5 common influencing factors such as freezer temperature, frozen storage time, product form, packaging method, and placement position. We measured 10 quality indicators such as whiteness, thawing loss, cooking loss, water holding capacity, resilience, cohesiveness, springiness, chewiness, hardness, and sensory score. Factor analysis was used to construct a quality evaluation model for frozen scallops and was combined with multiple linear regression analysis to determine the key factors affecting the quality of frozen scallops. Results show that there is a certain correlation between the 10 quality indicators of frozen scallop products. Three factor components were extracted through factor analysis, and the cumulative variance contribution rate was 73.33%. It can replace the original indicators to comprehensively evaluate the quality of frozen scallop products. Quality evaluation model of the frozen scallop was established by factor analysis: f=0.467f1+0.302f2+0.231f3. The common factors of f1 were springiness, resilience, cohesiveness, cooking loss, and water holding capacity; common factors of f2 were hardness, whiteness, and chewiness; and common factors of f3 were thawing loss and sensory score. Furthermore, multiple linear regression analysis showed that frozen storage time, freezer temperature, and product form are the key factors that affect the quality of frozen scallop products; the other two factors have no significant influence. These results suggest that methods based on factor analysis and multiple linear regression analysis can be used to evaluate the quality of frozen scallops and analyze the factors influencing quality deterioration.
