ABSTRACT

Crayfish cubes were produced using yam and corn starches as sepal te binders. The aim was to promote convenience in the use of crayfish. The functional p. iperties of yarn and corn starches and the crayfish flour were determined. The crayfish f )ur, yam starch and corn starch had bulk densities of 0.407, 0.780 and 0.406g./mi. :espectively; water absorption capacities of 2.0, 1.253 and 1.248g; emulsifying capac ies of 49.87, 45.06 and 50.59%; gelation capacities of 42.33, 18.20 and 15.53%; gelatin sation temperatures of 63, 69 and 72°C; wettabilities of 24.45, 8.74 and 98.05s and scosities of 98.18, 100.6 and 101.93mPa, respectively. The crayfish flour, the binders :ind the cubes were analyzed for their proximate composition. The production of the crr fish cubes caused a reduction in the protein content of the crayfish flour from 44.405' tol9.25-24.285%. The moisture contents of the crayfish flour, yam starch, corn starc1. crayfish cube with yam and corn starches were 21 .485,15.71, 12535, 12.03 and tl.28 , respectively. The fat content of the crayfish flour (12.25%) was not significantly (] 0.05) reduced by processing to cubes. The cubes made with the yam and corn sta: :heS both had a fat content of 12.0%. The moisture sorption isotherms of crayfish cub s were obtained by static gravirnetric methods using nine different salt solutions o relative humidities between 11.3% - 92.6% conditioned at 27, 30, and 50°C. The she: cubes, packed in low density polyethylene-laminated paper 1, moisture sorption characteristics and water vapour permeabilit packaging material. The sorption isotherms of the crayfish cubes and the rate kinetics showed slower rate of moisture adsorptic humidities. The Guggenheirn-Anderson-de Boer (GAB) and Bru (BET) models gave the best fit equations for the models. The crit; for the shelf life prediction was determined by sensory approach life of the crayfish s predicted using coefficient of the :e typical of type II at higher relative uer-Ernrnett-Teller al moisture content when the products