Quality attributes of canned whelk (Buccinum striatissimum) sterilized under various temperature and time conditions

The aim of this study was to characterize the effects of sterilization conditions on the quality attributes of canned whelk. Thermal sterilization was performed to achieve the same target sterility (F₀ value of 32 min) under seven temperature and time conditions ranging from 116 °C for 105 min to 128 °C for 11 min. After sterilization, quality attributes including cooking loss, pH, color, and texture were assessed. The processing conditions significantly impacted the physicochemical attributes, with a prolonged processing time leading to increased cooking loss and darker muscle color. The optimum sterilization condition for canned whelk was determined to be 126 °C for 16 min. This condition could produce canned whelk with reduced cooking loss, softer texture, and brighter color, which can be considered as desirable quality characteristics. This study contributes to the optimization of sterilization process for canned whelk industry.