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Article History

Received: 17 June 2025

Accepted: 21 October 2025

First Online: 25 November 2025

Declarations

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: The present study involved the use of Seriola dumerili as experimental animals. All experimental operations were conducted in strict compliance with relevant laws and regulations at the national and international levels, and in accordance with the ethical guidelines established by the institution.1. Ethical approvalThis study was approved by the Animal Ethics Review Committee of Guangdong Ocean University (GOU) with approval number GDOU-LAE-2024–040 dated 13 September 2024.2. Anaesthetize and slaughtering methods Seriola dumerili were captured from the Fujian high-body amberjack breeding site, followed by anaesthetize treatment using 400 ppm zinc oxide eugenol and hydromorphone to ensure that they would not feel pain during the slaughtering process. The specific operation steps were as follows:Anaesthetize selection: zinc oxide eugenol and hydromorphone were used at a dose of 400 ppm, and the fish were anaesthetized by immersion in a 30 L tank for 3 min at the time of slaughter.Assessment of anaesthetize effect: During the anaesthetize process, the behavioural responses of Seriola dumerili were closely observed to ensure that they were completely unconscious before the slaughtering operation.Slaughtering method: The cervical dislocation method was adopted to complete the slaughtering quickly under anaesthetize to minimize the pain of the animals.3. Animal welfare measuresRapid lethality: Cervical dislocation is considered to be an animal welfare slaughter method because it rapidly renders the fish unconscious and reduces suffering.Code of practice: In experimental or fishery operations, it is recommended that the operation be carried out by trained professionals to ensure accuracy and humane treatment.Marking and management: All experimental animals are individually marked for easy management and tracking.Compassionate endpoints: Euthanasia measures are taken as soon as animals are found to be in obvious pain or discomfort during experiments.4. Regulations and guidelines complianceThis study strictly adhered to national and international regulations on animal experimentation and followed the ‘3R’ principle (Replace, Reduce, Refine) to ensure that the experimental design was scientifically sound and the number of animals used was minimized.In addition, this study did not involve the transport of live Seriola dumerili to the laboratory, and the samples collected were processed at the breeding base and transported to the laboratory by cold chain (0 ~ 4 ℃). The above statement ensures that this study complied with the ethical requirements in the use of animals, while safeguarding the welfare and health of experimental animals.

: This study was a sensory evaluation experiment designed to assess flavor differences in food products. According to the experimental design and relevant regulations, this experiment did not require ethics committee approval for the following reasons:1. Nature of the experiment and risk assessmentThis experiment is a food sensory evaluation study, the purpose of which is to assess the flavor of food samples by a professional panel of experts. Such studies, unlike animal experiments or clinical studies involving human subjects, do not involve any manipulation that may cause physical or psychological harm to the subjects. All samples are food grade and have been assessed for food safety and are free from potential health risks.2. Safety of raw materials and strainsThe raw materials and strains used in this experiment were carefully screened and their safety has been verified in previous studies (10.1016/j.foodcont.2018.05.002;https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodchem.2025. 142973). Firstly, rosemary, cloves, and cinnamon used in this experiment are common household spices; ginger, onion, and wine are common household seasonings; and trehalose has been recognized internationally as a GRAS (Generally Recognized as Safe) substance, all of which are safe and non-toxic. Secondly, Secondly, Lactobacillus plantarum is a probiotic widely found in nature and has a good safety profile. And our team has already used Lactobacillus plantarum and Staphylococcus gallinarum strains for fermentation, and they have not produced adverse effects. Saccharomyces cerevisiae , on the other hand, is widely used in the food industry, such as in the fermentation process of bread, beer and wine. Its safety is internationally recognized and it is classified as a GRAS (Generally Recognized as Safe) substance. In addition, the strains used are also widely used in other sensory experiments and no adverse reactions have been reported ( ).3. Involvement of specialized expert groupsSensory evaluation experiments are usually conducted by trained professionals who have expertise and experience in assessing food flavors. In this experiment, the expert panel members who tasted the samples were professionals in the field of food science who were fully aware of the purpose and procedure of the experiment and participated in the experiment on a voluntary basis. No non-professionals or vulnerable groups were involved in the experiment.4. Data protection and privacyAll data collected during the experiment are objective results of food flavor evaluation and do not involve any personal privacy information. All data will be kept strictly confidential and used only for scientific research purposes.In summary, given the nature of the experiment, the risk assessment, and the materials and methods used, the experiment therefore did not require the approval of an ethics committee.

: All volunteers were informed of the content of the experiment. All volunteers voluntarily participated in this sensory evaluation and agreed to the collection of statistical data. During the study, the rights and privacy of all the participants were protected.

: The authors declare that they have no competing interests to declare regarding this publication.