Samantekt:
Farmed arctic char were divided into two groups after slaughtering. One group (T1) was stored in ice up to 18 d and the other (T2) was stored at 18°C for 24 h (temperature increased from 3°C up to 12°C), then iced and stored up to 18 d. Changes during storage were observed with sensory evaluation using the Quality Index Method (QIM) and Quantitative Descriptive Analysis (QDA), total viable counts (TVC), and hydrogen sulphide (H2S)-producing bacteria. A high correlation between Quality Index (QI) and storage time in ice was found. Storage time could be predicted within ± 1.3 d. The maximum shelf life, determined with QDA and microbial counts, was 17 and 15 d, respectively, for iced (T1) and temperature-abused (T2) arctic char. At the end of shelf life, TVC was 105–106 CFU/g in the flesh of both groups, with H2S producing bacteria constituting a higher proportion of TVC in T2.