Effects of a freeze-thaw-pressing muscle separation on the biochemical quality and self-stability of leg meat from red snow crab (Chionoecetes japonicus)

To evaluate the product quality of leg meat from red snow crab (Chionoecetes japonicus) prepared with a novel freeze-thaw-pressing muscle separation (FTPS), the biochemical properties were compared with those of two thermal muscle separations (boiling; BS or steaming; SS). Among the muscle separations, the yield from merus part was the highest with the FTPS (22.0 ± 2.1 g), followed by SS (20.3 ± 1.4 g) and BS (17.5 ± 1.8 g). The proximate compositions in the three leg meats were similar, but the quantitative analyses for the water extractive components (free amino acids, minerals, organic acids and ATP-related compounds) revealed that all the contents were notably higher in the leg meat with FTPS (LM-FTPS) than that with BS or SS. The sensorial acceptability test demonstrated the storable day limits of the LM-FTPS at −20 °C, 0 °C or 10 °C, but it was suggested only in storage either at 0 °C (3 days) or 10 °C (1 day), the day limits corresponded to 30 mg% of the VBN value and 5 log CFU g−1 of the total viable cell count. In the case of −20 °C storage, the storable day limit suggested within 5 days, based on the VBN value.