Eugenios Katsanidis

Summary The effect of initial storage temperature on the quality and safety characteristics of sardines was investigated. Initially, fresh sardines were stored in aerobic conditions at 0 °C, 5 °C or 10 °C for 24 h and subsequently, they were vacuum packed and stored at two distinct temperatures, namely 4 °C and 8 °C. Microbial growth, lipid oxidation (TBA values), pH, total volatile basic nitrogen (TVB‐N) and biogenic amines concentrations were monitored throughout storage. There were no notable differences in the pH levels of the different treatments, whereas higher TBA and TVBN values were observed for the sardines initially stored at higher temperatures. Significant differences ( P < 0.05) in biogenic amine concentrations were observed throughout storage time. Samples exposed to lower initial temperatures exhibited longer lag times and lower production rates of biogenic amines. There were no statistically significant differences observed in microbial populations, although the sardine samples stored at 10 °C initially had the highest microbial populations. These results support the conclusion that initial handling conditions are important for the shelf‐life of fresh sardines and can drastically affect their overall quality and safety.