Determination of the shelf life of cluster of the red king crab (Paralithodes camtschaticus) during chilled storage

Red king crab (Paralithodes camtschaticus) presents a commercial and economical important species that is mainly consumed in high-end markets in Japan and USA. The product is either sold live, cooked and refrigerated or frozen. The meat in the legs and in the shoulder is utilized. In this study, shelf life of cooked king crab clusters (shoulder plus three legs) during chilled storage was studied. We utilized sensory, chemical and microbiological methods to describe spoilage during storage of the clusters, and to estimate its shelf life. The results revealed that a cluster is a heterogeneous product, where the shelf life of the leg and shoulder meat is 8 and 5 days, respectively, during chilled storage. As it is impractical to operate with two different shelf lives for the same product, the overall recommended shelf life is 5 days for cooked and chilled clusters. Corresponding maximum level of TVC and Pseudomonas spp. in leg meat stored for 5 days was log 4.6 and 3.7 CFU/g, respectively. A correlation between odour of the shoulder joint and flavour of the leg meat was revealed. By using, exponential regression, the flavour of the leg meat could be predicted based on the odour of the shoulder joint.