Sun-dried shrimp from Taiwan and Louisiana were stored at 22OC for 8 months in modified atmospheres of air or vacuum. Packages were randomly selected at 2-month intervals and analyzed for moisture, water activity (a,), total volatile nitrogen, ammonia and pigment oxidation. Moisture and a, were shown to decrease during the storage period regardless of the package atmosphere; however, the amount of decrease was less in samples stored under vacuum than in air. Total volatile nitrogen and ammonia increased during the storage period, with samples stored in air showing the greatest increases. Pigment oxidation reached a maximum at 4 months, samples stored in a vacuum showed the least amount of oxidation.

No abstract

The change from the blue-green color to the red-orange color of Blue crabs was monitored during cooking using a Hunterlab Color Difference Meter set in the L, a, b scale. Changes in the "a" readings were correlated with the changes in internal body temperature. A cooking temperature of 100°C resulted in maximum red-orange color development after 30 set with no significant changes occurring subsequently. The internal body temperature of the crabs was shown to be only slightly above the initial temperature when maximum color development occurred. The results of this study show that color changes in Blue crab do not serve as an adequate index of proper cooking.

No abstract

The D-values of Vibrio cholerae were determined in peptone water and in crab meat homogenate. In peptone water, the D-values in minutes were 1.70 at 49°C, 1.04 at 54°C, 0.63 at 60°C and 0.36 at 63°C. In crab meat homogenate, the D-values in minutes were 8.15 at 49°C, 5.02 at 54°C, 2.65 at 60°C, 1.60 at 66°C and 0.30 at 71°C. Whole crabs injected with 106 V. cholerae were cooked by boiling or steaming. No V. cholerae was recovered from crabs cooked in boiling water (100°C) for 15 min or in steam (100, 115.6 or 121.1°C) for 10 min when V. cholerae was injected into the crab's dorsal swim fin muscle. The rate of heat penetration during cooking of crabs was also determined.