Volatile compounds for the evaluation of fish freshness during refrigeration storage.

In this study the volatile composition of some Mediterranean fish species have been studied. Fish samples were obtained from a local fisherman and there kept in ice up to five days; samples have been analysed every day since their capture and during the storage in ice. Volatile components have been extracted and analysed by HS-SPME-GC/MS; eighty-seven volatile components have been identified in each fish specie analysed and qualitative and quantitative differences resulted during the refrigeration storage. The data obtained have been statistically treated and correlated with those from chemical analyses.