Effect of Slightly Acidic Electrolyzed Water Combined with <italic>ε</italic>-Polylysine Hydrochloride on Storage Quality of <italic>Micropterus salmoides</italic> Fillets

To investigate the effects of combined treatment with slightly acidic electrolyzed water (SAEW) and ε-polylysine hydrochloride (ε-PLH) on the refrigerated quality of largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides) fillets, this study selected bass with a weight of 500~800 g, processed it into fillets weighing 30±3 g fillets after purification. Four treated groups were set up: Sterile purified water (CK), 50 mg/L SAEW (SAEW), 0.3% ε-PLH (PLH), and a mixture of 50 mg/L SAEW and 0.3% ε-PLH (MIX). Fillets were soaked in the solutions at a 1:5 (w/v) ratio for 15 minutes, drip dried, sealed in PVC bags, and stored at 4 ℃. Microbial, physicochemical, and sensory evaluations were done regularly. Results indicated that by day 12 of storage, the total bacterial count in the MIX group (6.58 lg CFU/g) remained below the maximum safety limit (7.00 lg CFU/g) stipulated by International Commission on Microbiological Specifications for Foods (ICMSF), while the CK, SAEW, and PLH groups exceeded this limit by 8, 12, and 12 day, respectively. The MIX group exhibited significantly lower volatile basic nitrogen (TVB-N) content (13.42 mg/100 g) and thiobarbituric acid (TBA) value (0.55 mg/kg) compared to individual treatment groups (PPseudomonas in the MIX group (78%) was significantly lower than that in the CK group (85%) (PL* value and minimal change in a* value) and texture properties (70% hardness retention) compared to individual treatments. Sensory evaluation confirmed that the MIX group maintained higher acceptability even on day 12 of storage. In conclusion, the combination of SAEW and ε-PLH effectively delayed quality deterioration in refrigerated Micropterus salmoides fillets, offering a valuable reference for processing and marketing freshwater fish ready-to-cook products in China.