Effects of hot-air and vacuum freeze-drying on the sensory evaluation, flavor, and physicochemical changes of Antarctic krill (Euphausia superba Dana).

Onboard Antarctic krill preparation mainly includes cooking and drying. However, there have been few systematic evaluations of the benefits and drawbacks of various drying processes for Antarctic krill, as well as examinations of their impact on Antarctic krill quality. In this study, we compared and analyzed the effects of hot-air drying and vacuum freeze-drying on the sensory, physicochemical, and flavor characteristics of raw and cooked Antarctic krill. The results demonstrated that different drying treatments significantly improved the quality compared to that of the control group, indicating that these two treatments had varied impacts on the quality of Antarctic krill. Hot-air drying treatment produced a bright color and good texture in terms of hardness, gumminess, chewiness, cohesiveness, and resilience, particularly in the cooked Antarctic krill groups. In contrast, vacuum freeze-drying maintained the superior quality of Antarctic krill in terms of lipid oxidation, sensory properties, and flavor. The findings of this study provide basic information for future research on onboard drying processing and the use of high-quality Antarctic krill.