Enzymes also produce more food for bacteria to feed on, increasing the rate of spoilage. This is especially important in fatty fish such as salmon and mackerel. Slowing Seafood Spoilage All of the changes that cause seafood spoilage are affected by temperature. High tempera tures speed spoilage and low temperatures slow spoilage. For many seafood species, increasing the temperature from 32F to 40F doubles the rate of spoilage and cuts the shelf life in half.
Sanitation is also important.
Contamination of seafood by bacteria from dirty ice, containers and surfaces can increase the number of bacteria on seafood and speed spoilage. Contamination with food poisoning bacteria can cause illness when the seafood is eaten. Keeping seafood handling and storage equipment clean reduces bacterial contamination and slows spoilage. Seafood shelf life as a function of temperature. Alaska Sea-Gram No. 30.