Spiny-Cheek Crayfish, Faxonius limosus (Rafinesque, 1817), as an Alternative Food Source.

Natalia Śmietana,Remigiusz Panicz,Arkadiusz Nędzarek,Małgorzata Sobczak,Przemysław Śmietana

doi:10.3390/ani11010059

Abstract

Simple SummaryFreshwater crayfish species are critical for both local communities and the modern food industry. The study characterised the meat of invasive spiny-cheek crayfish, analysing the yield, basic chemical composition, nutritional value, as well as culinary value. Crayfish meat has high nutritional parameters due to favourable fatty acid and amino acid profiles, as well as balanced mineral content. Crayfish meat is an alternative to livestock meat in the human diet and draws attention of the food industry to the processing of underutilised resources of high-quality aquatic species.The aim of the study was to present a comprehensive characterisation of crayfish meat, which is crucial to assess its potential usefulness in the food industry. To this end, we assessed the yield, basic chemical composition (protein, fat, minerals), nutritional value (amino acid and fatty acid profiles, essential amino acid index (EAAI), chemical score of essential amino acids (CS), hypocholesterolaemic/hypercholesterolaemic ratio (h/H), atherogenicity (AI) and thrombogenicity (TI) indices), as well as culinary value (lab colour, texture, sensory characteristics, structure) of the meat of spiny-cheek crayfish (Faxonius limosus) (n = 226) from Lake Sominko (Poland) harvested in May–September 2017. Crayfish meat, especially that from the abdomen, was shown to have high nutritional parameters. It is lean (0.26% of fat), with a favourable fatty acid profile and a very high quality of fat (PUFA (sum of polyunsaturated fatty acids):SFA (sum of saturated fatty acids), n-6/n-3, h/H, AI, TI) and protein (high CS and EAAI). It is also a better source of Ca, K, Mg, Na, P, and Cu than meat from slaughter animals. Hence, crayfish meat can be an alternative to livestock meat in the human diet. Owing to its culinary value (delicateness, weak game flavour, and odour), it meets the requirements of the most demanding consumers, i.e., children and older people.

Highlights

IntroductionThere has been an increase in interest in raw materials used to create new products to meet the growing demand of customers
Introduction censeeMDPI, Basel, Switzerland.In recent years, there has been an increase in interest in raw materials used to create new products to meet the growing demand of customers
It is currently not widely used for food purposes, it can become an alternative source of animal raw material in the near future

Summary

Introduction

There has been an increase in interest in raw materials used to create new products to meet the growing demand of customers. The meat of freshwater crayfish is included in this category. It is consumed in various countries of Asia, North America, and Europe. In Europe, crayfish were found on tables from the Middle Ages to the 1920s. The availability and popularity of crayfish for consumption decreased, e.g., owing to a rapid decline in the populations of local species caused by the emergence of crayfish

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