Sensory properties of cooked leg meat of commercial-size red king crab (Paralithodes camtschaticus) after 3 months of live holding with feeding

Summary

The cooked leg meat of red king crab (RKC, Paralithodes camtschaticus) is highly valued worldwide for its sensory appeal. Prior to commercialisation, RKCs are often held alive in onshore facilities for short periods, a practice known as “live holding”. This study comparatively evaluated the sensory characteristics of cooked leg meat obtained from commercial-size freshly caught wild RKCs (n = 8) and RKCs of similar size but subjected to 3-month live holding (n = 8), during which they were fed raw herring and shrimp. Quantitative descriptive analysis revealed that the odour attribute process was more intense (p = 0.004) in wild samples, whereas the live holding samples were perceived as more bitter (p = 0.039) and with a more intense juiciness (p = 0.019). However, differences in mean attribute intensity were small and unlikely to be identified by an ordinary seafood consumer. Instrumental colour measurement lightness (L*) was higher (p = 0.021) in live holding samples, whereas instrumental texture parameters did not differ significantly (p ≥ 0.05) between the groups. In summary, this study demonstrates that, for RKC, a 3-month live holding period with raw herring and shrimp as feed impacts only marginally the organoleptic properties of its cooked leg meat.

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DOI : doi.org/10.1007/s12562-026-020...
NVA : hdl.handle.net/11250/5566333