Quality parameters of processed clusters of red king crab (Paralithodes camtschaticus) - Effects of live holding at 5 and 10 °C up to 92 days without feeding

Red king crab (Paralithodes camtschaticus) has become a valuable resource in the Norwegian fishery. After landing, the crab is exported either as live or as processed into two cooked-frozen sections (i.e., clusters) to high-end market segments in Europe, Asia and in the USA. Live holding can be an alternative to processing right after landing, offering a new possibility to control the time before processing or live export. The live holding period can last, in absence of feeding, from some days up to as long as three months. The present study aimed to evaluate the effect of time and temperature on a series of quality parameters in red king crabs kept live without feeding at 5 and 10 °C up to 92 days. At day 0, 41, 62, and 92, the crabs were processed into cooked clusters followed by analyses. Meat content and cluster yield decreased significantly (p < 0.05) with live holding time and temperature as well as occurrence of moulting. Furthermore, the water content and pH of the cooked meat showed a significant increase as a function of live holding time, especially after 62 days of live holding at 10 °C. The live holding time and temperature have substantial negative effects on the product quality, likely related to the deterioration of muscle structure, that occur more markedly and earlier in the crabs kept at 10 °C (between 41 and 62 days) compared to their counterparts at 5 °C (between 62 and 92 days). The effects of live holding conditions appear more evident once the clusters are cooked compared to their raw counterparts. The results show that live holding time and temperature highly influence the quality of both live crabs and processed clusters. Thereby, a detailed knowledge and high control of live holding conditions are required to obtain an optimum quality of red king crabs.