Effect of Ultrasound Combined with Ozone Water Pretreatment on the Bacterial Communities and the Physicochemical Properties of Red Swamp Crayfish Meat (Procambarus clarkii)

Abstract

The objective of this research was to investigate the impact of ultrasound cleaning (U) combined with ozone water cleaning (O₃) on the bacterial communities and physicochemical properties of red swamp crayfish. After single-factor experiments, 600 W and 45 min for U and 13.28 mg/L and 20 min for O₃ were selected as optimal parameters. The combination of ultrasound followed by ozone water cleaning (U/O₃) showed the better total viable count (TVC) reduction effect in crayfish than ozone water cleaning followed by ultrasound cleaning (O₃/U) and simultaneous ozone water and ultrasound cleaning (U+O₃). As expected, U/O₃ significantly reduced the relative abundance of Pseudoalteromonadaceae, Fusobacteriaceae, and Plesiomonas_shigelloides, and increased the cleanness of crayfish. Compared with the control (samples cleaned with water), the samples subjected to U/O₃ treatment led to the myofibril separations of tail meat and an increase (P < 0.05) in the pH, myofibril fragments index (MFI), and thiobarbituric acid–reactive substance (TBARS) content. However, no significant influence (P > 0.05) was found on the physical and sensory qualities, including the expressible moisture, cooking loss, springiness, overall appearance, odor, taste, and integrity of tail meat. Therefore, U/O₃ could be a potential cleaning method for crayfish in the food industry.