Sensory properties of cooked leg meat of commercial-size red king crab (Paralithodes camtschaticus) after 3 months of live holding with feeding

Abstract The cooked leg meat of red king crab (RKC, Paralithodes camtschaticus ) is highly valued worldwide for its sensory appeal. Prior to commercialisation, RKCs are often held alive in onshore facilities for short periods, a practice known as “live holding”. This study comparatively evaluated the sensory characteristics of cooked leg meat obtained from commercial-size freshly caught wild RKCs ( n = 8) and RKCs of similar size but subjected to 3-month live holding ( n = 8), during which they were fed raw herring and shrimp. Quantitative descriptive analysis revealed that the odour attribute process was more intense ( p = 0.004) in wild samples, whereas the live holding samples were perceived as more bitter ( p = 0.039) and with a more intense juiciness ( p = 0.019). However, differences in mean attribute intensity were small and unlikely to be identified by an ordinary seafood consumer. Instrumental colour measurement lightness ( L *) was higher ( p = 0.021) in live holding samples, whereas instrumental texture parameters did not differ significantly ( p ≥ 0.05) between the groups. In summary, this study demonstrates that, for RKC, a 3-month live holding period with raw herring and shrimp as feed impacts only marginally the organoleptic properties of its cooked leg meat.