Identifier

etd-07082013-140407

Degree

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department

School of Nutrition and Food Sciences

Document Type

Dissertation

Abstract

The Gulf Coast region, principally Louisiana, leads the nation in oyster production. The National Marine Fisheries Service reported that 19.7 million pounds of oyster meat, valued at $62.3 million dollars were harvested from the Gulf Coast region in 2010. One of the main concerns for this industry is the health risk associated with the consumption of oysters, particularly for at-risk populations. Oysters are filter feeders. They tend to concentrate microbes present in surrounding waters, some of which can cause severe illness in susceptible humans. Among pathogens that contaminate the gastrointestinal system of oysters, Vibrio spp (especially V. parahaemolyticus and V. vulnificus) are of greatest concern. The overall goal of the proposed study was to develop a protocol for the production of high quality and safe frozen oyster products in steam venting packages that are microwavable. Based on this study, a combination of 100 g of frozen oyster meat with 200 g of frozen mixed vegetables provided retention of almost 95% of the meat’s moisture after 300 s of microwave cooking. In addition, the achieving of an internal temperature of 90°C after 258 s of microwave cooking assured inactivation of naturally occurring pathogenic bacteria in oyster meat. The study demonstrated that steam venting technology could be used to inactivate pathogenic bacteria in frozen oysters and oyster products cooked in the steam packages retained the texture and the desirable flavor composition traditionally associated with oysters.

Date

2013

Document Availability at the Time of Submission

Secure the entire work for patent and/or proprietary purposes for a period of one year. Student has submitted appropriate documentation which states: During this period the copyright owner also agrees not to exercise her/his ownership rights, including public use in works, without prior authorization from LSU. At the end of the one year period, either we or LSU may request an automatic extension for one additional year. At the end of the one year secure period (or its extension, if such is requested), the work will be released for access worldwide.

Committee Chair

Subramaniam, Sathivel

DOI

10.31390/gradschool_dissertations.1339

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