A Comparative Study on Sensory Attributes of Fed and Wild Red King Crab (Paralithodes Camtschaticus)

Abstract

When feeding red king crab (RKC) (Paralithodes camtschaticus) in captivity, what are the sensory attributes of this meat when compared to their wild counterparts? In this study, we explored the intensity of odour, taste/flavour, and texture attributes after feeding RKCs for 24 months and compared them to wild RKCs. The crabs were fed with raw shrimp (Pandalus borealis) and dry feed in various combinations: 50 % raw shrimp and 50 % dry feed (P50), 20 % raw shrimp and 80 % dry feed (P80), and 100 % dry feed (P100). Out of the 21 sensory attributes evaluated, sweet, salty, umami taste, and the flavour processed differed significantly (p < 0.05) between the P50 and the wild RKCs. Among the feeding groups, the sensory attributes of the P100 RKCs were closest to the ones of their wild counterparts. It can be concluded that, overall, the fed RKCs did not differ radically from wild RKCs in terms of sensory attributes.

Keywords: Crustacean, feeding, sensorial attributes