Antenna lobster meat: biochemical changes and a simple and inexpensive tenderizing procedure

Abstract

In lobster fisheries along the Brazilian coast, lobster cephalothorax is discarded overboard. The cephalothorax corresponds to 2/3 of the crustacean in weight, and its meat yields 26.6% of the total weight of the Panulirus argus lobster. This means that thousands of tons of meat are wasted in fishing. However, some fishing companies have taken the initiative to use the meat extracted from the cephalothorax, including the meat from the antennas, which corresponds to a yield of 5% in relation to the weight of the cephalothorax. The problem with using antennae meat lies in the fact that when cooked, after being stored frozen, it becomes different, "strange," tough, and therefore loses its commercial acceptance. This study aims to monitor some of these biochemical changes in the raw material and develop a simple, practical, and inexpensive methodology to promote its softening. Biochemical test results showed variations in pH, from 6.63 to 7.73, salt-soluble proteins, from 23.47 to 10.52 mg/g, and formaldehyde, from zero (freshly killed lobster) to 59.5 µg/g. Organoleptic tests showed that treatment III, consisted of a pre-softening with the commercial softener whose composition includes the enzyme papain, was the most efficient.