Quality enhancement of batter-coated oysters via low temperature vacuum frying technique and machine learning-based prediction models for shelf life and quality dynamics

As a widely consumed prepared food, the preservation of nutrient retention and sensory quality in batter fried oysters is a significant concern. Deep frying, air frying, and vacuum frying (VF) were used to prepare battered fried oysters. Guar gum (GG) and xanthan gum (XG) were added at 0.2 % ( w /w) to mitigate surface cracking caused by vacuum pressure fluctuations during VF processing. Results indicated that both GG and XG combined VF significantly preserved oyster nutrients while reducing lipid and protein oxidation. Two predictive models were developed based on best optimized battered oyster processing parameters. Model-1 used multi-dimensional variables to predict shelf life with MAPE 2.88 % and R 2 0.9992, showing high accuracy. Model-2/3, using storage temperature/time as inputs and quality indices as outputs, effectively captured freshness changes. This study aims to provide a theoretical framework for the development, processing, and quality control of seafood.