<![CDATA[Lipid oxidation is a major cause of quality deterioration in processed fish products during storage. Snakehead fish (Channa striata) sausages contain unsaturated fatty acids that are susceptible to oxidative degradation. This laboratory experiment evaluated the effects of packaging and vacuum packaging on lipid oxidation in snakehead fish sausage. This experimental study was conducted between March and August 2025 at the Food Laboratory of the Department of Nutrition and Integrated Laboratory of Politeknik Kesehatan Kemenkes Jayapura, Jayapura, Indonesia. A 2×2 factorial design with two packaging materials (polyethylene [PE] and polypropylene [PP]) and two techniques (vacuum and non-vacuum) was used with seven independent production batches as replications stored at 10 ± 2 °C for 30 days. TBARS were measured on days 0, 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, and 30 and analyzed using two-way ANOVA. The TBARS levels increased progressively in all groups. Vacuum packaging significantly affected TBARS at all observation times (p ≤ 0.003; ηp² = 0.317–0.826). Packaging material had significant effects on days 5, 10, and 30 (p ≤ 0.008), with PP yielding lower values than PE values. No interactions were detected. The lowest TBARS on day 30 was 0.374 mg MDA/kg in the PP + vacuum. In conclusion, storage at 10 ± 2 °C and vacuum sealing were associated with lower TBARS, whereas PP showed lower values on several days. These findings describe secondary lipid oxidation only and do not establish the microbiological or sensory shelf life.]]>
