Effect of super chilling storage on maintenance of freshness of kuruma prawn

Using natural prawn (Penaeus japonicus), a comparison study was conducted between super chilling (-2degreesC) and cool (5degreesC) storage for the effectiveness of keeping fish meat fresh. Brightness of the tail color could be retained longer using super chilling storage compared to traditional refrigeration. In addition, a significant color difference in a values between the two methods was confirmed when a colorimeter was used. As a physical property of the meat, significant softening was observed after 2 days refrigeration. However, in super chilling storage, no softening was observed even after 3 days of storage. Light microscopy showed the lowering of intercellular connections in the softened meat. The rise in K-values was suppressed in super chilling storage. From these results, it can be expected that super chilling storage is able to maintain the color of prawns and the physical properties of the meat, and consequently offers potential as a new storage technique suitable for replacing refrigeration.