Quality of lobsters stored under different conditions of temperature and packaging

Abstract Lobster is a marine species of great importance in many countries and the biochemical and microbiological changes that occur after capture determine its quality and shelf life. The objective of this work was to study the effect of the storage temperature (-30 ºC, -80 ºC and -150 ºC), the type of packaging (low density polyethylene - LDPE with and without vacuum) and the storage time (0, 60, 120, 180, 240, 300 and 360 days) on the colour (luminosity, red and yellow intensity) and chemical characteristics (proteins and lipids) of the lobster. During storage the physical parameters of luminosity and red intensity increased, the yellow intensity decreased, the protein levels decreased and there was no significant difference in the lipid content. It was concluded that the freezing temperatures studied and both the presence and absence of vacuum in the polyethylene bags during storage were efficient in maintaining the physical and chemical characteristics of the lobster tails.