Influence of Gender and Spawning on Meat Quality of Australian Red Claw Crayfish ( Cherax quadricarinatus ) Stored at 2 °C

Shell‐on tails of male (M), nonspawning female (F), and spawning female (SF) Australian red claw crayfish ( Cherax quadricarinatus ) ( n = 270) were aerobically stored at 2 °C up to 10 d to monitor meat quality changes under a retail condition. Percentage protein of SF muscle was higher ( P < 0.05) and moisture and ash content lower ( P < 0.05) than those of M and F muscles. The pH of muscle changed during storage, with SF generally having a lower value than M or F ( P < 0.05). Lipid oxidation increased during the 1st 5 d and no significant difference existed between the 3 muscle groups. Cooking yield of SF (91.72%) at 10 d was significantly lower than that of M (96.25%) or F (97.81%), and its muscle shear force was also higher ( P < 0.05) than M at 0, 3, 5, and 7 d and than F at 5 and 7 d. Sensory panel results (cooked meat tenderness, juiciness) were significantly correlated with instrumental results (shear force, cooking yield), with SF showing a lower meat tenderness, juiciness, and overall acceptability than M and F samples.