Storage Changes of Fresh and Pasteurized Blue Crab Meat in Different Types of Packaging

We investigated pasteurization and storage of blue crabmeat in steel cans, aluminum cans, plastic cans, nonbarrier pouches, and barrier pouches. Fresh meat was packed in copolymer polyethylene/polypro-pylene cups, Saran® over-wrapped or vacuum skin packaged polystyrene trays, and nonbarrier pouches. Meat pasteurized in plastic and aluminum cans had better sensory and microbiological quality and longer shelf life than meat packed in steel cans. Oxygen-barrier pouches had the lowest quality and shortest shelf life. Nonbarrier pouches had product with quality similar to meat in steel cans, but with an extended shelf life. No packaging materials improved the microbiological shelf life of freshly cooked meat. Vacuum skin packaging resulted in improved sensory qualities of freshly cooked and picked meat.