Abstract
High-pressure processing (HPP) in a large-scale industrial unit was explored as a means for producing added-value claw meat products from edible crab (Cancer pagurus). Quality attributes were comparatively evaluated on the meat extracted from pressurized (300 MPa/2 min, 300 MPa/4 min, 500 MPa/2 min) or cooked (92 °C/15 min) chelipeds (i.e., the limb bearing the claw), before and after a thermal in-pack pasteurization (F9010 = 10). Satisfactory meat detachment from the shell was achieved due to HPP-induced cold protein denaturation. Compared to cooked or cooked-pasteurized counterparts, pressurized claws showed significantly higher yield (p < 0.05), which was possibly related to higher intra-myofibrillar water as evidenced by relaxometry data, together with lower volatile nitrogen levels. The polyunsaturated fatty acids content was unaffected, whereas the inactivation of total viable psychrotrophic and mesophilic bacteria increased with treatment pressure and time (1.1-1.9 log10 CFU g-1). Notably, pressurization at 300 MPa for 4 min resulted in meat with no discolorations and, after pasteurization, with high color similarity (ΔE* = 1.2-1.9) to conventionally thermally processed samples. Following further investigations into eating quality and microbiological stability, these HPP conditions could be exploited for producing uncooked ready-to-heat or pasteurized ready-to-eat claw meat products from edible crab.