Mechanical extraction of meat from lobster and crab bodies

Anyone handling lobsters knows that a certain percentage of their inventory is des-tined to be “cooked-off” for production of lobster meat. Despite industry’s general preference for trading in the live product, some lobsters are too weak to survive hold-ing in the processors “live tank” and must be cooked to prevent loss of valuable meat. Others may be too large for use in the restaurant or retail trade. In Canada a “cooking class” of lobsters is used for the production of frozen or canned lobster meat. While the clan and tail meat are easily removed by hand, meat found in the lobster’s body section is usually discarded with the bodies as waste. This body meat comprising some 14 per cent of the overall meat is virtually impossible to remove manually. With assistance from Gloucester Fisheries Laboratory in Gloucester, Massachusetts,

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we have examined the feasibility and effectiveness of three methods of meat extrac-tion from lobster bodies. These techniques were continuous centrifugation, a commi-nution, and straining operation, and the use of a perforated drum separator originally designed for production of minced products from fin fish species. Continuous centri-fugation requires a 20% brine solution to facilitate flotation of the meat and sedimen-tation of the shell after comminution of the lobster bodies in a food mill.

After centrifugation, the brine must be removed from the meat. This washing step removes much of the flavour which lowers acceptability of the finished product. Generally, the process is cumbersome and unsuitable. Comminution and straining techniques are represented by machinery such as Paoli separator. After the bodies are run through a grinder, the mixture of meat and shell, is passed through the fine screen leaving shell components behind.

Although producing lobster meat free of shell, processors have complained of high water levels in the finished product and chalky flavour resulting from grinding.The perforated drum separator works by passing lobster bodies between a moving rubber belt and rotating, perforated drum. The meat is squeezed through the drum’s holes and the shell remains outside the drum and passes out of the machine. If a 1.3.-mm drum is used, the resulting lobster meat will be virtually free of shell. The lower moisture content and greater retention of flavour in the finished product, and the low-er equipment cost, make the perforated drum technique more attractive than the other methods.

Vocabulary

handling inventory

to be destined for despite = in despite of to survive

prevent loss valuable retail trade claw

tail

to remove discard

разделывание, обработка подсчет, учет, оценка предназначаться для несмотря, вопреки уцелеть, выживать

предотвращать, предупреждать потеря

ценный

розничная торговля клешня

хвост, шейка извлекать, удалять

отбрасывать, выбрасывать

за ненадобностью

waste virtually body section to comprise feasibility extraction

отходы

практически, фактически сегмент тела

составлять осуществимость

экстрагирование, извлечение

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continuous centrifugation comminution

straining operation perforated drum separator

непрерывное центрифугирование измельчение, раздробление фильтрование

перфорированный сепаратор

барабанного типа

mince

brine solution to facilitate flotation segmentation shell

food mill washing step flavour acceptability cumbersome unsuitable Paoli separator

grinder/grindling screen

finished product processors complain

by passing lobster bodies rotate

фарш

солевой раствор обеспечивать, содействовать

флотация (нахождение на поверхности) оседание частиц, остатков

панцирь дробилка

ступень (стадия) промывания вкус (вкусовое качество) органолептическое качество трудоемкий, громоздкий

зд малоэффективный сепаратор фирмы Паоли дробилка, дробление фильтр

готовый продукт обработчики

зд отмечать

посредством пропускания тушек вращать

squeez выжимать, выдавливать, зд. проходить

remain pass out moisture content retention cost attractive

задерживать зд удалять влага содержание сохранение стоимость приемлемый

Exercises