Abstract
To achieve a krill meal of high quality, a two-stage drying involving hot-air drying and vacuum drying was investigated. Five experimental groups were established according to the different drying conditions in the second stage, including 95 °C and 101 kPa, 95 °C and 60 kPa, 75 °C and 101 kPa, 75 °C and 60 kPa, and 75 °C and 20 kPa. The results showed that reducing the drying temperature and vacuum pressure in the second stage had a significant impact on the drying characteristics, sensory quality, and bioactive compounds of krill meal. Among all five groups, the drying condition of 75 °C and 60 kPa maintained a high drying rate while preserving a phospholipid content of 30.01 mg/kg and an astaxanthin content of 37.41 mg/kg. It also effectively reduced the isomerization of astaxanthin and the oxidation of unsaturated fatty acids. These results suggested that the two-stage drying method may contribute to the production of high-quality krill meal.