Acceptability and Shelf-life Testing of Newly Formulated Crab Balls from Blue Swimming Crab (Portunus pelagicus)

Abstract

Meatballs made from fishery products such as fish, shrimp, and squid are among the popular street foods in Asia. To meet the increasing demand for these street foods, there is a need to develop/formulate new balls out of fishery products. Hence, in this study, crab balls from blue swimming crabs (Portunus pelagicus) were formulated and standardized using three formulations (meat and binder ratio): Formulation A (50:50), Formulation B (60:40), and Formulation C (70:30). Sensory attributes such as flavor, color, texture (juiciness and chewiness), and general acceptability of the three formulations were evaluated by sensory panelists. Selected formulation was further analyzed in terms of shelf-life testing and comparison with the existing commercial squid ball. Consumer testing was also done to determine the feasibility of the formulated crab ball. Results revealed that Formulations B and C received the highest overall score of sensory attributes (p<0.05). Therefore, Formulation C was chosen for further analyses. It was found that the formulated crab ball had a higher acceptability than the commercial squid ball (p<0.05). Shelf-life testing revealed that the frozen formulated crab balls could last more than 35 days due to their consistent high to moderate general acceptability scores. This study suggests that blue swimming crab (P. pelagicus) can be used as an alternative raw material for fishery meatball preparation.