Effects of Different Sterilization Methods on the Flavor of Ready-to-Eat Crayfish (Procambarus clarkii)
SHI Rongrong, HUANG Qi, TAN Hongyuan, WANG Shizhe, QIAO Yu, XIONG Guangquan, WU Qian, SHI Liu, PAN Fuwen
1. School of Life and Health Sciences, Hubei University of Technology, Wuhan 430068, China; 2. Institute of Agro-product Processing and Nuclear Agricultural Technology, Hubei Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Wuhan 430064, China; 3. Hubei Doudo Food Co. Ltd., Qianjiang 433115, China
Abstract：We undertook this study in order to explore the effect of different sterilization methods, namely, electron beam irradiation (EBI; at 6 kGy for 12 h), 60Co γ irradiation (60Co; at 6 kGy for 12 h), and high-temperature treatment (BPS; at 121 ℃ for 15 min), on the flavor of ready-to-eat crayfish, with non-sterilized samples as the control (CK). The free amino acid composition was determined and the flavor characteristics and composition were analyzed by electronic nose, electronic tongue, sensory evaluation, gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), and gas chromatography-ion mobility spectrometry (GC-IMS). The results showed that the autoclaved crayfish had the highest content of free amino acids, while cold sterilization led to decreased levels of bitter amino acids and increased levels of umami amino acids. The electronic nose could clearly distinguish the flavor characteristics of crayfish subjected to different sterilization treatments, with the most significant difference observed between the autoclaved and control groups. Sensory evaluation indicated that the cold sterilized crayfish had better flavor quality than the high-temperature sterilized crayfish. A total of 69 volatile substances were detected by GC-MS, including 11 aldehydes, 13 alcohols, 25 hydrocarbons, 5 esters, 6 ketones and 9 other types of substances. After sterilization, the types of volatile substances in ready-to-eat crayfish increased. The GC-IMS results revealed that the types and contents of volatile substances in the two cold sterilization treatments were similar. Overall, the flavor of cold sterilized ready-to-eat crayfish is superior to that of high-temperature sterilized crayfish.
石蓉蓉，黄 琪，谭宏渊，王世哲，乔 宇，熊光权，吴 茜，石 柳，潘富文. 不同杀菌方式对即食小龙虾风味的影响[J]. 肉类研究, 2026, 40(7): 47-55.
SHI Rongrong, HUANG Qi, TAN Hongyuan, WANG Shizhe, QIAO Yu, XIONG Guangquan, WU Qian, SHI Liu, PAN Fuwen. Effects of Different Sterilization Methods on the Flavor of Ready-to-Eat Crayfish (Procambarus clarkii). Meat Research, 2026, 40(7): 47-55.
2026, Vol. 40 
