JFS C: Food Chemistry and Toxicology

Quality of Whole Lobster (Homarus americanus)

Treated with Sodium Tripolyphosphate
Before Cooking and Frozen Storage
B ETH L. CALDER, ALFRED A. BUSHWAY , ROBER
USHWA T C. BAYER, KATHERINE A. DAVIS-DENTICI, AND MAR
OBERT Y E LLEN CAMIRE
ARY

C: Food Chemistry & Toxicology

ABSTRA
ABSTRACT CT
CT:: The objectiv e of this study was to deter
objective mine the effects of pr
determine e-r
pre-r igor tr
e-rigor eatment of lobster muscle with
treatment
sodium tripolyphosphate (STP) before cooking, cryogenic freezing, and frozen storage. STP concentrations of 0.1%
and 0.3% were prepared in 0.9% saline solution and injected into lobster before processing. Controls were injected
with 0.9% saline solution. Lobsters were then steam-cooked, cryogenically frozen, and stored at 15 C. Chemical
and textural analyses were conducted on reheated samples at storage months 0, 2, 4, and 6, and sensory analyses
were conducted at months 2 and 6. Cook loss results showed the 0.3% STP-treated lobsters had a 5% significantly ((P P
0.05) lower cook loss than the 0.1% STP and contr
low ol samples
control samples.. Yield rresults
esults rrev
ev ealed that STP
evealed -tr
STP-tr eated tails had a
-treated
0.7% to 0.8% significantly ((PP 0.05) higher meat yield than contr ol samples
control samples.. Total moistur
moisture e rresults
esults sho
show wed that
STP-treated lobster tail and claw meat had higher total moisture levels compared with control samples at month 6.
Sensory results revealed that panelists rated both 0.1% and 0.3% STP-treated lobster tails significantly ((P P 0.01)
higher for flavor and texture, and significantly ((PP 0.001) higher for overall acceptability than control samples at
month 6. The results indicated that STP added at low concentrations may extend the shelf life of whole cooked
cr
cryyogenically fr
froozen lobster
lobster,, decrease lipid o
decrease xidation o
oxidation ovver frozen stor
fro age time
storage time,, maintain textur
texturee, color
color,, and flav or
flavor
attributes, increase yield, and decrease drip loss.
Keywor ds: lobster
eywords: lobster,, Homarus americanus
americanus,, sodium tr ipolyphosphate
ipolyphosphate,, cr
tripolyphosphate cryyogenic fr ee
free zing, quality
eezing,

Introduction carbohydrate cryoprotectants and sodium tripolyphosphate to

F rozen storage of cooked, whole lobsters is known to result in

toughening of meat, development of off-flavors, and difficul-
ty of meat separation from the shell (Getchell and Highlands 1957).
Work and others (1997) recently demonstrated that cryogenically
freezing lobsters before frozen storage could retain high-quality
texture and flavor attributes of whole lobster. The excellent textural
qualities of both hard- and soft-shell lobsters were attributed to
the fast rate of freezing.
Fast freezing rates are recognized to retain quality attributes of
muscle foods due to smaller ice crystal formation during the freez-
ing process, which are less detrimental to muscle proteins com-
pared with slower freezing rates (Foegeding and others 1996). How-
ever, food quality is also dependent on frozen storage
temperatures. Ablett and Gould (1992) found that over 12 wk of
frozen storage, freezing rate was not as crucial as storage tempera-
ture in affecting membrane integrity of cod muscle tissue. They
observed collapsed sarcoplasmic membranes in cod samples stored
at 12 C, evidence of intracellular ice crystal formation regardless
of freezing technique, whereas cod samples stored at 35 C had
very little signs of condensation damage.
Long-term frozen storage can lead to undesirable sensory chang-
es in seafood and loss of water-holding capacity (Getchell and
Highlands 1957; Krivchenia and Fennema 1988; Chang and Regen-
stein 1997). Henry and others (1995) showed benefits of adding
MS 20040749 Submitted 11/14/04, Revised 3/4/05, Accepted 6/7/05. Authors
Calder, Bushway, Davis-Dentici, and Camire are with Dept. of Food Sci-
ence and Human Nutrition, Univ. of Maine, 5735 Hitchner Hall, Orono, ME
04469. Author Bayer is with Dept. of Animal and Veterinary Sciences, Univ.
of Maine, Rogers Hall, Orono, Maine. Direct inquiries to author Calder (E-
mail: beth.calder@umit.maine.edu).
precooked blue crab meat before cryogenic freezing in comparison
with heat-pasteurized crab meat. Others have shown that the use
of polyphosphates can enhance frozen-storage stability of cod and
Dungeness crab meat (Woyewoda and Bligh 1986; Crapo and Craw-
ford 1991), reduce thaw drip in canned lobster meat (Rippen and
others 1996), and increase water-holding capacity of pre- and post-
rigor lobster muscle (Regenstein and Stamm 1979).
Most recently, a patented method was designed for injection of
food-grade additives into live seafood before processing to en-
hance quality throughout frozen storage (Bayer and others 1999).
The objective of this study was to determine the effects of pre-rigor
treatment of lobster muscle with sodium tripolyphosphate before
cooking, cryogenic freezing, and frozen storage.
Materials and Methods
Lobster processing
Soft-shell lobsters (Homarus americanus) ranging in weights
from 0.5 kg to 0.7 kg were provided by D.B. Rice Fisheries (Bunkers
Harbor, Maine, U.S.A.) in August 2001. Fifty-eight lobsters per treat-
ment were injected with 5 mL of 0.9% saline (control), 0.1% sodium
tripolyphosphate (STP) in 0.9% saline or 0.3% STP (sodium tripoly-
phosphate; FMC, Philadelphia, Pa., U.S.A.) in 0.9% saline and held
for 10 min before processing at Cranberry Point Seafood Process-
ing Facility (Gouldsboro, Maine, U.S.A.). Lobsters were injected into
the ventral side of the tail near the carapace (Bayer and others
1999). Lobsters were cooked for 16 min in a continuous steam cook-
er at 100 C (CTX Steam Cooker, model nr VSWDM3546; Laitram
Machinery, New Orleans, La., U.S.A.) for 15 to 20 min before individ-
ually weighing and cryogenically freezing for 15 min with liquid ni-

2005 Institute of Food Technologists Vol. 70, Nr. 9, 2005JOURNAL OF FOOD SCIENCE C523
Further reproduction without permission is prohibited Published on Web 11/15/2005
 Quality of lobster treated with STP . . .
trogen at temperatures between 55 C to 57 C using a 30-foot ples for texture analysis were thawed and steamed in the same
freezing tunnel (Modular Tunnel Freezer, model nr KFT36-10M;
BOC Gases, Murray Hill, N.J., U.S.A.). Frozen lobsters were placed
into covered storage totes for transport to the Univ. of Maines Dept.
of Food Science and Human Nutrition where they were held at
15 C frozen storage until needed for analyses. Lobster tail and claw
meat quality attributes were determined after 0, 2, 4, and 6 mo of
storage.
Chemical analyses
Chemical analyses were performed on lobster samples at
months 0, 2, 4, and 6. Lobsters were thawed at 4 C for 24 h and
steamed for 20 min in a stainless-steel colander over 1.9 L of boil-
C: Food Chemistry & Toxicology
ing water in a 7.7-L stainless-steel cooking pot, covered with tin-
foil. Tail and claw meat samples were removed by hand, lightly
rinsed with potable water, and homogenized using a hand-pow-
ered food processor (Culinare RocketChef; Best Direct, Pacoima,
Calif., U.S.A.). Homogenized claw and tail meat samples were an-
alyzed in duplicate for lipid oxidation, salt-soluble protein, and
moisture content.
Determination of lipid oxidation
Thiobarbituric acid (TBA) test results were performed according
to a modified method of Tarladgis and others (1960) and Rhee and
Watts (1966) to determine thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances
(TBARS) reported as g malonaldehyde/g of tail or claw meat over
time. During TBA testing, the lowest detected amount of malonal-
dehyde was 0.2 g/g.
Determination of protein
Ten grams of lobster muscle were homogenized with 90 mL of
5% saline solution for 30 s, and the homogenate was centrifuged at
12000 g for 20 min at 4 C. Salt-soluble protein concentration was
measured by the Lowry procedure (Lowry and others 1951) to de-
termine mg/g salt-soluble protein content in claw and tail samples
over time.
Determination of moisture
Lobster claw and tail meat were analyzed for total moisture us-
ing the standard AOAC procedure (1998).
Determination of cook loss and yield
Cook loss, the percentage of weight (moisture) loss resulting
from the initial cook step of each lobster before freezing, was calcu-
lated as:
% Cook loss: initial (raw) wt (g) cooked wt (g) 100
initial (raw) wt (g)
Meat yield was based upon the percentage of lobster tail meat
removed from each cooked lobster:
% Yield (based on cooked weight):
cooked tail wt (removed from shell) (g) 100
whole cooked wt (g)
Texture analysis
exture
Tail meat firmness was assessed to determine shear force need-
ed to penetrate through tail meat samples. A metal shear cell was
custom-designed with a beveled edge for an Instron (model nr
4466 with a Series IX Automated Materials Testing System 7.5; In-
stron, Inc., Canton, Mass., U.S.A.) to mimic the human bite. Sam-
C524 JOURNAL OF FOOD SCIENCEVol. 70, Nr. 9, 2005
manner as samples for chemical and sensory analyses. After re-
heating, tails were cut in half as duplicates per lobster, and length
and width (mm) were measured for each tail section using Mitu-
toyo Digimatic calipers (model nr CD-6BS; Mitutoyo Corp., Ka-
wasaki, Japan). Lobster tail placement was perpendicular to the
blade edge to cut across muscle fibers. The Instron scale load was
0.5 kN, crosshead speed 500 mm/min, platen separation 50.1 mm,
and sample rate 20.0 points/s. Maximum displacement (peak load)
was measured in mm/cm, and force (load) was measured in kN per
pound. The peak load or breaking point of the sample was calculat-
ed in kN/mm.
Colorimetric analysis
Colorimetric analysis was performed on tail meat to coincide with
sensory analysis at months 2 and 6 using a Hunter LabScan II
(Hunter Associates Laboratory, Reston, Va., U.S.A.). Standard back-
ground and calibration tiles were used: white tile (CIE illuminant
D65 10 observer, 1971) and black tile (no company specification).
An optical aperture of 3 cm was used. L, a, and b values were re-
corded as averages of 3 readings per sample, and chroma and hue
values were calculated.
Sensory analysis
An affective sensory test was conducted to determine consumer
acceptability of frozen lobster upon reheating at months 2 and 6.
The lobsters were removed from frozen storage and placed at re-
frigerated temperatures (4 C) for 24 h before evaluation. Lobsters
were steamed for approximately 20 min. Tail meat was removed
from the shell, lightly rinsed to remove tomale, dried, and weighed.
Lobster claws were not evaluated during sensory testing. The tail
meat was cut vertically in half and then cut into 6 horizontal propor-
tionate sections. Each panelist received 1 tail section per treat-
ment on small plates labeled with 3-digit randomized codes pre-
sented in random order. Butter (sweet cream, unsalted butter;
Hannaford, Scarborough, Maine, U.S.A.) was provided. Thirty pan-
elists (older than age 18 years) were recruited for this study from
the Univ. of Maine community. Volunteers were allowed to partic-
ipate after signing an informed consent form. Panelists were seated
in booths with fluorescent lighting at the Consumer Testing Center
located at the Univ. of Maine Dept. of Food Science and Human
Nutrition. Sensory panelists evaluated sample attributes of exterior
and interior meat color, flavor, texture, and overall acceptability
using a 9-point hedonic scale (1 = dislike extremely to 9 = like ex-
tremely). Data from the computerized sensory ballots were collect-
ed by the SIMS 2000 program for Windows.
Statistical analyses
Chemical and physical data were analyzed using Systat version
9.0 (Systat Software, Inc. 1998). One-way analysis of variance (ANO-
VA) was used to detect statistical differences (P 0.05) among STP
and control treatments at a specific frozen storage month. Signifi-
cant differences (P 0.05) between means were analyzed using the
Tukey HSD post hoc test. A multi-way ANOVA was used to evaluate
differences of the potential effects of treatment over frozen storage
time, and the Tukey HSD Multiple Comparisons were used to de-
termine significant differences (P 0.05) of treatment means
across time. Lobster tail and claw data were analyzed separately.
Pearson correlation matrix analyses were performed on chemical,
physical, and sensory data using Systat version 9.0.
Sensory data on lobster tails were analyzed using SAS 6.12 (SAS
Inst. 1989) (P 0.05) with Duncans long-range multiple post hoc
test.
URLs and E-mail addresses are active links at www.ift.org
Quality of lobster treated with STP . . .
Results and Discussion
TBARS
TBARS ANOVA results for lobster tail and claw meat suggest an
increasing trend of malonaldehyde concentration for all treatments
over frozen storage time as illustrated by Figure 1. At month 6, con-
trol tail TBARS levels were higher than STP-treated tails, and 0.1%
STP-treated claws were significantly (P 0.05) lower in malonalde-
hyde concentration than both control and 0.3% STP-treated claw
meat. Overall, tail and claw meat malonaldehyde concentrations
remained low and did not exceed 2.0 g/g.
Multi-way ANOVA analyses detected significant effects of time
and treatment/month interactions on TBARS levels in lobster tail
and claw meat. TBARS values for all 3 treatments significantly (P
0.05) increased over storage time for both tail and claw samples.
Higher TBARS values indicated an increased probability of off-
flavor and odor formation. However, malonaldehyde concentra-
tions never surpassed 2.0 g/g, indicating that sensory panelists
would probably not be able to detect any off-flavors or odors at
these low concentrations. Worth noting, the 0.1% STP treated claw
and tail meat had the lowest malonaldehyde concentration at
month 6 compared with the other 2 treatments. At month 6, TBARS
results corresponded well to sensory results. Pearson correlation
matrix results indicated a strong negative relationship between
TBARS values and panelists ratings of overall acceptability (r =
0.90) and flavor (r = 0.87) of lobster tails at month 6. STP-treated
lobster tails had lower TBARS values than control samples, and
sensory panelists rated STP-treated tails significantly (P 0.01)
higher for flavor and significantly (P 0.001) higher for overall ac-
ceptability than control lobster tails.
Dyer and Horne (1953) studied yellow discoloration changes in
frozen lobster claw meat, which also occurred in lobster claws in this
study at month 4. They attributed the changes in pigment color to
fat oxidation. They hypothesized that peroxides oxidized the red
lobster pigment (astacene) to form a yellow pigment. Peroxide val-
ues were not obtained in this study, but malonaldehyde concentra-
tions were low (0.7 g/g), an indication that astacene may be high-
ly susceptible to oxidation in lobster claw meat.
Salt-soluble protein
Salt-soluble protein concentrations in lobster claw and tail meat
varied considerably across frozen storage time as shown by Lowry
ANOVA results in Figure 2. Significant (P 0.05) differences among
Figure 1Thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances (TBARS)
means of lobster tail and claw meat over frozen storage
time. Significance P 0.05. Means are an average of
duplicate samples based on homogenate of 8 tails and 16
claws. Means within evaluation period not sharing a com-
mon letter are significantly different.
URLs and E-mail addresses are active links at www.ift.org
treatments were detected at months 0, 2, and 4 in tail meat. At
months 2 and 4, control lobster tails were lower in salt soluble pro-
tein levels than the STP-treated samples. Control and 0.3% STP-
treated lobster claw meat had consistently higher salt-soluble pro-
tein levels than 0.1% STP-treated claw meat throughout storage
time. However, salt-soluble protein differences in claw meat were
not found to be significant among treatments.
Multi-way ANOVA results indicated significant treatment,
month, and treatment/month interaction effects on salt-soluble
protein levels in lobster tail meat. Lobster tail meat treated with
STP had significantly (P 0.05) higher Lowry values at months 2
and 4, than storage months 0 and 6. For claw meat, all 3 treatments
had significantly (P 0.05) higher Lowry values at months 2 and 4
C: Food Chemistry & Toxicology
than at months 0 and 6.
Pearson correlation matrix results indicated a strong positive
relationship between Lowry values and panelists ratings for tex-
ture (r = 0.99) and overall acceptability (r = 1.00) of tail meat at
month 2. Sensory ratings revealed that panelists did not detect any
significant texture differences in lobster tail meat. However, at
month 6, sensory panelists rated STP-treated lobster tails signifi-
cantly (P 0.01) higher for more desirable texture, even though no
significant differences were noted for salt-soluble protein levels
across treatments. Therefore, our sensory results at month 6 did not
correspond well with the hypothesis that lower salt-soluble protein
levels are an indication of tougher seafood texture.
Total moisture
moisture
Moisture one-way ANOVA results indicated that total moisture
levels in lobster tail and claw meat samples varied significantly (P
0.05) at month 2. The 0.3% STP-treated tail and claw meat had sig-
nificantly higher moisture levels than the other 2 treatments. At
month 6, lobster tails treated with STP had higher total moisture
levels than control samples, and the STP-treated claws had signif-
icantly (P 0.05) higher moisture levels than the control. Moisture
data at month 4 were eliminated due to loss of sample. Lobster tail
moisture data are shown in Figure 3.
Moisture multi-way ANOVA results indicated no significant ef-
fects of treatment, time, or treatment/month interactions on mois-
ture levels in lobster tail or claw meat.
Moisture results indicated that STP-treated lobster maintained
total moisture levels in tail and claw meat for 6 mo of frozen storage.
However, control lobster claw and tail meat appeared to lose 3% to
4% moisture between storage months 2 and 6. Rebach and others
Figure 2Salt-soluble protein means of lobster tail and claw
meat over frozen storage time. Significance P 0.05.
Means are an average of duplicate samples based on ho-
mogenate of 8 tails and 16 claws. Means within evalua-
tion period not sharing a common letter are significantly
different.
Vol. 70, Nr. 9, 2005JOURNAL OF FOOD SCIENCE C525
 Quality of lobster treated with STP . . .
(1990) noted detrimental quality changes in frozen Jonah crabs
occurred first in leg meat compared with body meat. In this study,
the yellowing of claw meat observed at month 4 of frozen storage
may also correspond to the decrease in moisture levels in control
lobster claws after month 2. Pearson correlation matrix results for
lobster suggest a strong positive relationship between moisture
levels and panelists ratings of flavor (r = 0.92), texture (r = 0.89),
and overall acceptability (r = 0.94) at month 6.
Cook loss and yield
Weight data were collected to determine whether STP treat-
ments had any influence on decreasing cook loss and increasing
tail yield. Weight measurements included initial (precooked) and
C: Food Chemistry & Toxicology
whole cooked lobster weight before freezing, and the weight of
cooked tail meat removed from the shell upon thawing and reheat-
ing lobster before conducting analyses.
Cook loss results revealed significant (P 0.05) differences be-
tween 0.3%-STP treated lobsters and the other 2 treatments. The
0.3% STP-treated lobsters had a 5% lower cook loss than the 0.1%
STP and control samples, as illustrated by Figure 4. The 0.3% and
0.1% STP-treated lobsters had a significantly (P 0.05) higher tail
meat yield, based on whole cooked lobster weight. STP-treated tails
had a 0.7% to 0.8% higher meat yield than control samples, as shown
in Figure 5.
The results indicated that injecting 0.3% STP into lobster signif-
icantly decreased cook loss by 5%, and STP treatments significantly
Figure 3Mean percentage of total moisture in lobster tail
and claw meat over frozen storage time. Significance P
0.05. Means are an average of duplicate samples based
on homogenate of 8 tails and 16 claws. Means within evalu-
ation period not sharing a common letter are significantly
different.
Figure 5Mean percentage of lobster tail meat yield based
on whole cooked weight. Significance P 0.05. Each value
is the mean of 57 lobster tails taken from random periods
of frozen storage. Means within evaluation period not shar-
ing a common letter are significantly different.
C526 JOURNAL OF FOOD SCIENCEVol. 70, Nr. 9, 2005
(P 0.05) increased tail meat yield. The cook loss and yield find-
ings are similar to the results found by Froning and Sackett (1985)
when they injected turkey breast muscle with salt and various
types of phosphates. The presence of salt and phosphates signif-
icantly reduced expressible moisture and cook loss, but did not
significantly affect shear values.
Textur
exturee
Texture analysis was conducted to determine a correlation be-
tween sensory and physical tail texture data over storage time. Peak
force was measured to determine the force needed to shear tail
meat samples.
Texture ANOVA results revealed significant (P 0.05) differenc-
es in peak force at month 0 ( Figure 6). Control samples had a signif-
icantly higher maximum displacement mean than 0.1% and 0.3%
STP-treated tails. No significant differences were detected at stor-
age months 2, 4, and 6. Some tail samples did not remain intact upon
re-steaming, and the tail muscle appeared disintegrated in the
shell. These lobster meat samples were not feasible for texture
analyses. Therefore, unequal sample sizes were a problem for con-
ducting texture analyses due to mushy tail meat sample ob-
served across treatments.
Significant (P 0.05) differences in peak force were detected at
month 0 only. Control tail meat had a significantly higher peak force
than STP-injected lobster, an indication that control tails had a
tougher or chewier texture at month 0 than STP-treated tails. Pear-
Figure 4Mean percentage of lobster tail meat cook loss
after initial cooking. Significance P 0.05. Each value is
the mean of 57 lobster tails taken from random periods
of frozen storage. Means within evaluation period not shar-
ing a common letter are significantly different.
Figure 6Mean peak force of lobster tail results at month
0. Significance P 0.05. Means are an average of 14 tails
for control, 18 tails for 0.1% STP, and 18 tails for 0.3%
STP. Means within evaluation period not sharing a com-
mon letter are significantly different.
URLs and E-mail addresses are active links at www.ift.org
Quality of lobster treated with STP . . .
son correlation matrix results indicated a moderately strong nega-
tive relationship between texture values and panelists ratings for
texture (r = 0.83) and overall acceptability (r = 0.82) at month 2.
Random occurrences of mushy tail texture were observed across
treatments upon reheating samples before conducting analyses. It
is worth noting that STP-treated lobster tails had a slightly lower
incidence of mushy tail meat throughout frozen storage, but the
differences in the mean lobster tail samples used for Instron testing
were not significantly (P 0.05) different. Mushiness in lobster
meat has also been reported with fresh cooked soft shell lobsters
from personal communications with the Maine Lobster Promotion
Board. This textural problem has been noted in previous cryogenic
lobster testing at the Univ. of Maine, but the cause is not known.
Mushy texture in crustacean muscle has been mostly attributed
to the release of proteolytic enzymes from the hepatopancreas
causing muscle degradation (Marshall and others 1987; Slattery
and others 1989; Kim and others 1996). These enzymes are heat-
labile and are often inactivated at temperatures above 65 C in
crayfish (Kim and others 1996) and at internal temperatures at
80 C in blue swimmer crab (Slattery and others 1989). An inhouse
test was recently conducted at the Univ. of Maine to determine in-
ternal temperatures of lobster (weight range of approximately 0.45
to 0.57 kg) during steam cooking. Lobster body cavity and tail tem-
peratures were monitored and recorded during the steam cook
process. Internal lobster temperatures reached above 80 C after 6
to 8 min for tail and 8 to 10 min for body sections during steam cook-
ing in a commercial steamer (Steamcub, model nr 1 SCE; Cleveland
Range, Inc, Cleveland, Ohio, U.S.A.).
In this study, handling and storage stresses on the soft-shell lob-
sters 24 h before processing may have caused the release of pro-
teolytic enzymes from the hepatopancreas into the surrounding
muscle of the lobster tail. Enzymatic activity may have contribut-
ed to muscle deterioration until initial cooking at temperatures at
100 C for 16 min, which would then subsequently inactivate these
enzymes before freezing lobsters.
Parasitic infections are also known to cause mushy texture in
seafood, but are uncommon among lobsters of the Homarus spe-
cies. Physiological factors may also contribute to mushy texture in
post-molt lobsters. Research suggests that stage of molt may also
affect the meat texture in crustaceans (Slattery and others 1989;
Mizuta and others 2001). Mizuta and others (2001) discovered that
post-molt snow crabs had higher water and lower protein content,
along with disintegrated sections of muscle tissue. Histological
Figure 7Mean sensory ratings of lobster tails at month
6. Significance P 0.05 for interior and exterior meat
color, P 0.01 for flavor and texture, and P 0.001 for
overall acceptability attributes. Each value is the mean
score of 30 panelists. Means within evaluation period not
sharing a common letter are significantly different.
URLs and E-mail addresses are active links at www.ift.org
characteristics suggested structural weakening of muscle fibers due
to physiological changes during the molt process. Similar decreases
in protein concentration possibly occur in soft-shell lobsters. Future
work could investigate the injection of antifreeze proteins to post-
molt lobsters before processing. The additional proteins may in-
crease lobster protein concentrations, while providing cryoprotec-
tive benefits and possibly extending lobster quality during frozen
storage. Results appear promising that antifreeze proteins, when
added to meat before freezing, reduce the size of ice crystal forma-
tion at low concentrations, and also inhibit ice recrystallization
(Payne and others 1993).
Sensory
C: Food Chemistry & Toxicology
Sensory results revealed no significant (P 0.05) differences
between treatments at month 2. However, panelists rated STP-
treated lobster higher in overall acceptability, flavor, texture, and
interior/exterior meat color than control samples. Panelists rated all
treatment attributes between ratings of 6 to 7. Significant treat-
ment differences were revealed at month 6, as illustrated in Figure
7. Sensory panelists rated both 0.1% and 0.3% STP-treated lobster
tails significantly (P 0.01) higher for flavor and texture, and sig-
nificantly (P 0.001) higher in overall acceptability than control
samples. The 0.3% STP-treated tails were also rated significantly (P
0.05) higher than control samples for interior and exterior meat
color. These results indicate that STP-treated lobster maintained
quality and sensory attributes in lobster over 6 mo of frozen storage.
Color
Colorimetric analyses were conducted on tail meat samples in
conjunction with sensory testing to compare possible relationships
between measures of L, a, and b values to panelists ratings of
meat color among treatments. No significant (P 0.05) differences
were determined at month 2; however, ANOVA colorimetric results
revealed significant (P 0.05) differences at month 6. Lobster tails
treated with 0.1% STP had a significantly higher a value or more red
color than the other 2 treatments, but had a significantly lower hue
than control and 0.3% STP samples. Lobster tails treated with 0.3%
STP had a significantly lower b value (measure of yellowness-blue-
ness) than 0.1% STP-treated lobster tails. The 0.3% STP-treated tail
meat samples also had significantly lower color saturation (chroma
value) than the 0.1% STP treatment. Colorimetric results for month
6 are presented in Figure 8.
These significant (P 0.05) differences in color appeared ac-
Figure 8Color attribute means of lobster tail results at
month 6. Significance P 0.05. Means are an average of
duplicate samples of lobster tail meat reheated the same
d as sensory testing. Means within evaluation period not
sharing a common letter are significantly different.
Vol. 70, Nr. 9, 2005JOURNAL OF FOOD SCIENCE C527
 Quality of lobster treated with STP . . .
ceptable and not noticeable to sensory panelists. STP-treated lob-
ster tails were rated higher for interior and exterior meat color than
control samples. Pearson correlation matrix results indicated a mod-
erate negative relationship between b values and sensory panel-
ists ratings for exterior meat color (r = 0.75) and between hue and
panelists ratings for overall acceptability (r = 0.70) at month 6.
Conclusions
T he results indicate that STP added at low concentrations may
extend the shelf life of whole cooked cryogenically frozen lob-
sters, maintaining a high-quality product throughout 6 mo of fro-
zen storage. STP injection, before processing, may decrease lipid
oxidation over frozen storage time, increase yield, decrease cook
C: Food Chemistry & Toxicology
loss, and extend more desirable texture, color, and flavor attributes
in frozen lobster products. Results suggest that the effects of STP
on lobster quality attributes appear more advantageous during the
latter storage months, an indication that seafood processors may
benefit from this technology if they intend to hold frozen product
for 6 mo.
Acknowledgments
Maine Agricultural and Forest Experiment Station External Publi-
cation nr 2810. We thank Dana Rice for providing lobsters for this
study and Cranberry Point Seafood Co. for allowing us the use of
their processing equipment and facility. Thanks are also extended
to Icebrand Foods Co. for their donation of lobsters and use of
equipment for preliminary studies.
References
Ablett RF, Gould SP. 1992. Subcellular membrane integrity of atlantic cod (Gadus
morhua) myotomal tissue: effects of frozen storage. J Food Sci 57(3):7969.
[AOAC] Assn. of Official Analytical Chemists. 1998. Official methods of analysis.
17th ed. Arlington, VA: AOAC.
Bayer RC, Bushway AA, Work TM, inventors; Univ. of Maine, assignee. 1999 Dec
14. Method and solution for improving frozen seafood quality. U.S. patent
6,001,396.
Chang CC, Regenstein JM. 1997. Textural changes and functional properties of
cod mince proteins as affected by kidney tissue and cryoprotectants. J Food Sci
62(2):299304.
Crapo CA, Crawford DL. 1991. Influence of polyphosphate soak and cooking pro-
C528 JOURNAL OF FOOD SCIENCEVol. 70, Nr. 9, 2005
cedures on yield and quality of Dungeness crab meat. J Food Sci 56(3):65764.
Dyer WJ, Horne DC. 1953. Yellow discoloration in frozen lobster meat. Halifax,
N.S.: Fisheries Research Board of Canada, Atlantic Experimental Station.
Foegeding EA, Lanier TC, Hultin HO. 1996. Characteristics of edible muscle tis-
sues. In: Fennema O, editor. Food chemistry. 3rd ed. New York: Marcel Dekker.
p 9289.
Froning GW, Sackett B. 1985. Effect of salt and phosphates during tumbling of
turkey breast muscle on meat characteristics. Poultry Sci 64:132833.
Getchell JS, Highlands ME. 1957. Processing lobster and lobster meat for freez-
ing and storage. Univ. of Maine, Orono, Maine: Maine Agricultural Experi-
ment Station Bull. 558.
Henry LK, Boyd LC, Green DP. 1995. Cryoprotectants improve physical and chem-
ical properties of frozen blue crab meat (Callinectes sapidus). J Sci Food Agric
69:1520.
Kim HR, Meyers SP, Godber JS. 1996. Anionic trypsins from crayfish hepatopan-
creas: effects on protein degradation of tail meat. J Food Sci 61(1):7880.
Krivchenia M, Fennema O. 1988. Effect of cryoprotectants on frozen whitefish
fillets. J Food Sci 53(4):9991003.
Lowry OH, Rosebrough NJ, Farr AL, Randall RJ. 1951. Protein measurement with
the Folin phenol reagent. J Biol Chem 193:26575.
Marshall GA, Moody MW, Hackney CR, Godber JS. 1987. Effect of blanch time on
the development of mushiness in ice-stored crawfish meat packed with adher-
ing hepatopancreas. J Food Sci 52(6):15045.
Mizuta S, Kobayashi Y, Yoshinaka R. 2001. Chemical and histological character-
ization of raw muscle from soft and hard crabs of snow crab (Chionoecetes
opilio). J Food Sci 66(2):23841.
Payne SR, Sandford D, Harris A, Young OA. 1994. The effects of antifreeze pro-
teins on chilled and frozen meat. Meat Sci 37:42938.
Rebach S, Stribling J, Wilber M. 1990. Frozen storage quality changes in whole
Jonah crabs. J Food Qual 13:2038.
Regenstein JM, Stamm JR. 1979. A comparison of the water holding capacity of
pre- and post-rigor chicken, trout, and lobster muscle in the presence of poly-
phosphates and divalent cations. J Food Biochem 3:2238.
Rhee K, Watts B. 1966. Evaluation of lipid oxidation in plant tissues. J Food Sci
31:6648.
Rippen TE, Sutton HC, Lacey PF, Lane RM, Fisher RA, Dupaul WD. 1996. Function-
al, microbial, and sensory changes in ice-stored sea scallops (Placopecten
magellanicus) treated with sodium tripolyphosphate. J Muscle Foods 7:93108.
SAS Inst. 1989. SAS/STAT users guide. Version 6. 4th ed. Cary, NC: SAS Inst.
Sims GG, Dewar AB, Zemlyak F. 1975. The effect of sodium tripolyphosphate on
frozen canned lobster meat. Halifax, N.S.: Halifax Inspection Laboratory; Tech-
nical Services Section, Fisheries and Marine Service Environment. p 114.
Slattery SL, Dionysius DA, Smith RAD, Deeth HC. 1989. Mushiness in the blue
swimmer crab, Portunus pelagicus (L). Food Aust 41:698703.
Systat Version 9. 1998. Systat Software, Inc. Richmond, Calif.
Tarladgis B, Watts B, Younathan M, Dugan L. 1960. A distillation method for the
quantitative determination of malonaldehyde in rancid foods. JAOCS 37:448.
Work TM, Bushway AA, Work RW, Pelletier RC. 1997. The effect of cryogenic freez-
ing on the quality of soft and hard shell lobsters (Homarus americanus). J
Aquatic Food Product Technol 6:5363.
Woyewoda AD, Bligh EG. 1986. Effect of phosphate blends on stability of cod
fillets in frozen storage. J Food Sci 51(4):9325.
URLs and E-mail addresses are active links at www.ift.org