Use of High‐pressure Processing for Oyster Shucking and Shelf‐life Extension

Abstract

ABSTRACT: Whole Pacific oysters ( Crassostrea gigas ) were processed using high‐pressure processing (HPP) treatment from 207 to 310 MPa at 0, 1, and 2 min and stored at < 4 °C and evaluated over 27 d. The pH of HPP samples decreased slightly from 6.3 to 5.8 during storage while the control (hand‐shucked oysters) dropped to pH 4.1. Moisture content of the controls decreased slightly while HPP samples increased slightly. Pressure treatment did not significantly inhibit lipase activity during the shelf‐life study. HPP reduced initial microbial load by 2 to 3 logs and counts remained at a reduced level through the storage study. Descriptive evaluation showed that HPP‐treated oysters received higher quality scores than controls during the storage trial.