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Title:Handlingandprocessingshrimp...

Moredetails

Introduction
Speciesofshrimp
TheBritishshrimpfishery
Handlingshrimpatsea
Handlingshrimponshore
Compositionofshrimp
Shrimpwaste

Introduction
Thisadvisorynotegivestechnicaladviceonthehandlingandprocessingofshrimp,bothatseaandonshore.Informationis
givenonchilling,freezing,coldstorage,cooking,peelingandpackingofshrimp.Shrimpcanningandthemanufactureof
othershrimpproductsarebrieflymentioned,andfiguresaregivenforyieldandcompositionofshrimpmeats.
TheprincipalspeciesofshrimpencounteredintheBritishfisheryarenamedanddescribedatthebeginningofthenote,and
abriefaccountofmethodsofcatchingprecedestheadviceonhandlingthem.

Speciesofshrimp
THETERMSSHRIMPANDPRAWN
ThetermsshrimpandprawnarewidelyusedintheUKindustrytodescribethesamespeciesandthiscanleadtosome
confusion.SpeciesofCrangonandPandalus,whichconstitutethebulkoftheBritishcommerciallandings,arehencecalled
shrimpinthisnote,whereasspeciesofPalaemon,whicharecapturedonlyinsmallquantities,arecalledprawn.
Thetermsprawnandshrimpareoftenusedinthefishtradetodistinguishlargespecimensfromsmallones.TheLabellingof
FoodRegulations1970containalistofprescribednamesforfishwhichcomesintoforceon1January1973,andhereit
statesthatlargefishofthePandalus,PalaemonandPenaeusspeciesmaybecalledprawn,andsmallspecimensofthe
samespeciesmaybecalledshrimp.Sincenoguidanceisgivenonwhatismeantbylargeandsmall,thiscouldleadto
difficulties.TheuseofsizeasaguidetonamingbecomesevenmoreconfusingininternationaltradebecauseinNorth
AmericaforinstancemuchbiggerspecimensthananythatoccurinBritishlandingsareinvariablydesignatedshrimp.Colour
issometimesused,againconfusingly,asaguidetonaming,pinkspecimensbeingcalledprawnsandbrownonesshrimps.
Further,thenameprawnisoftenusedlesscorrectlyintheUK,particularlyinScotland,asatradedesignationforNorway
lobster,NephropsnorvegicusthenamingofthisspeciesisdiscussedinAdvisoryNote29.
Tosumup,thisnoteusesonlythenameshrimptomeananyspeciesofCrangonorPandalusindividualspeciesof
commercialimportanceinthisgrouparedescribedbymoreprecisecommonnameslikebrownshrimp,pinkshrimpand
deepwatershrimp.
BROWNSHRIMP
Thebrownshrimp,Crangoncrangon,isfoundmainlyinshallowwater,from012m,aroundtheBritishcoast,andgrowsto
alengthofabout60mm.Itsgreyishbrowncolour,andtheabsenceofapointedsnoutorrostrum,readilydistinguishitfrom
shrimpsofthePandalusfamily.Itoccursmainlyonsoftsandyormuddybottomsandisoftenabundantinornearestuaries
itcanwithstandfairlywidefluctuationsinthetemperatureandsaltinessofthewater,andlivesfor34years.
Fig.1.BrownshrimpCrangoncrangon.

PINKSHRIMP
AlthoughallspeciesofPandalusarepink,itisrecommendedthatthenamepinkshrimpbeappliedinBritaintoPandalus
montagui,oneofthesmallerspecies.Localnamesincludeprawn,sprawnand,forsmallspecimens,smig.
Thepinkshrimpiscaughtmainlyonhardbottomsinwaters530mdeep,andisoftenfoundnearcoloniesofross,amarine
wormonwhichitsometimesfeeds.Itisfishedextensivelyinspringandsummer,butinlateautumnitmovesintodeeper
waters,3060m,wherethefemalecarrieseggsfromaboutNovembertoApril,whentheeggshatchandtheshrimpmove
inshoreagain.Thepinkshrimpreachescommercialsize,about50mm,when23yearsold,andreachesamaximumof
about75mmattheendofitslifespanof34years.Pandalusmontaguichangessexbothmalesandfemalesarehatched,
butthemaleschangesexafteraperiodandthenbehaveasfemales.Thepinkshrimpismostabundantinspringand
summer.PandalusmontaguicanbedistinguishedfromPandalusbonnieriandPandalusborealismosteasilybyitssmaller
sizeandbytheredandwhitestripesontheantennaewhichgiveabarberspoleeffect.
Fig.2.PinkshrimpPandalusmontagui.

DEEPWATERSHRIMP
Thedeepwatershrimp,Pandalusborealis,isalargespeciesofshrimp,andasthenameimpliesitoccursofftheBritish
coastmainlyindeeperwaters,particularlyontheFladenandFameDeepgroundsinthenorthernNorthSea,andoff
Norway.ThereareunexploitedstocksofPandalusbonnieri,anotherlargespeciesofshrimp,offthewestofScotland,
particularlyintheMinch,theClydeestuary,andintheIrishSea.
Fig.3.DeepwatershrimpPandalusborealis.

PandalusborealisandPandalusbonnieribothgrowtoalengthof100120mm,andlivefor34years.Theyaresosimilarin
appearancethatfortradepurposestheycanbeconsideredidentical.Theyarefoundonsoftgreymuddybottomsindepths
from40120m,withthemainconcentrationsindeepholes.Theyfeedonsmallworms,crustaceansanddebris.
MaturefemalesproduceeggsinNovemberandcarrythemuntilAprilwhenhatchingtakesplace.Pandalusborealischanges
sexinthesamewayasthepinkshrimp,Pandalusmontagui,butthetwosexesofPandalusbonnieriremaincompletely
separatethroughoutlife.
PandalusborealisappearstobeavailableinquantitythroughouttheyearbutPandalusbonnieriismostabundantinwinter
andspring.
PRAWN
Theprawn,Palaemonserratus,iscaughtinsmallquantitiesonthesouthandsouthwestcoastsofEngland,andonthe
Welshcoast.Itgrowstoalengthofabout100mm,andlivesfor35years.Femalescarryeggsfor23monthssometime
betweenDecemberandAugust,dependingprobablyonthewarmthofthewater.Prawnsoccurmostlyinrockyareas,and
aresometimescapturedinpotsorhoopnets.OtherspeciesofPalaemonthatgrowonlytoabout50mmarealsofoundin
smallquantities.Thecommercialcatchofprawnsisinsufficienttojustifyseparatelistinginlandingstatistics.
Fig.4.PrawnPalaemonserratus.

TheBritishshrimpfishery
Thebrownshrimpiscaughtinsomeareasclosetothetideline,eitherbybeamtrawltowedbyhorseortractororbywading
atlowwaterusingapushnet.Italsooccursongroundsclosetothosefrequentedbythepinkshrimp,intheWashfor
example,andthetwoarefishedtogetherusingabeamtrawltowedbyboatsofabout12minlength.Theprincipalcoastal
fisheriesareintheWash,theThamesestuary,MorecambeBayandtheSolwayFirth.Insomecoastalareasthepinkand
brownshrimpsarenotfullyexploited,forexampleintheFirthofForthandtheMorayFirth.
AlthoughDenmarkandNorwayhaveexploitedthedeepwatershrimpforsomeyears,seriousattemptsbyBritishvesselsto
catchshrimpontheFladengroundbeganonlyabout1966.TheoneortwoboatsfromnortheastScotlandthattriedthe
fisheryatthattimefoundthemarketwasunpreparedforthem,andthefisherydidnotbecomeestablishedcommerciallyuntil
1970.Theboatsemployedareabout20minlengthanduseanottertrawloffinemesh,thetowingtimebeingtypically46
hours.By1971twoshrimpprocessingplantshadbeenbuiltinthenortheasttohandlecatchesofPandalusborealisfrom
Fladen.
Nodistinctionismadebetweenbrown,pinkanddeepwatershrimpinUKlandingstatistics.

Handlingshrimpatsea
Careofthecatchbeginsbeforethecodendcomesonboardashrimptrawler.Thetrawlhastobetowedlongenoughtoget
areasonablecatch,butunnecessarilylonghaulscandamagetheshrimpinthenet.Somefishermenclaimthataweighted
codendmakessubsequentsortingeasierwhenthecodendcomesupverticallyshrimpsandflatfishtendtoremaininthe
bottomofthecodend,whileroundfishmoveuptowardsthelengtheningpiece.Itisalsosaidtobepossibletogivethe
shrimpapreliminarywashbytowingthetrawlnearthesurfacejustbeforehauling.Theefficacyofthesetechniqueshasnot
beenexaminedatfirsthand.
Oncetheshrimpareonboard,theymustbehandledquicklyandcarefully.Exposuretosunandwindondeckshouldbe
avoided,otherwisespoilagewillbeincreasedandchillingmademoredifficult.Anawningshouldberiggedoverthedeckin
warmweather.
Thecatchisfirstsortedorculledotherfish,deadordamagedshrimpandrubbishareremovedbyhandorbysieve.The
shrimparethenwashedthoroughlyinseawatertoremoveanyremainingmudorsand,andtoreducebacterial
contamination.Theshrimparedrainedasmuchaspossibleandarethenreadyforfurtherprocessing,usuallyfreezing,
cookingorchilling.
FREEZINGONBOARD
ShrimparenotfrozenatseaonanyBritishtrawleratthepresenttime,althoughthepracticeisnowcommonplaceinsome
overseasfisheries,forexampleintheGulfofMexico.Theeconomicsoffreezingthedeepwatershrimpcatchatsea,onthe
Fladengroundforexample,maybeworthexaminingintermsofimprovedqualityandincreasedproportionoffishingtimeto
steamingtime.
Shrimpcanbefrozenatseabyimmersioninacoldbrineorasolutionofsugarandsalt,byairblastfreezingorbyplate
freezing.ImmersionandairblastfreezersareusedsuccessfullyonshrimpvesselsinNorthandCentralAmerica.Freezingin
sugarandsaltsolutionisclaimedtogiveanimprovedglazeontheshrimp,andtomakeseparationoftheshrimpseasier
whenthawing.
Deepwatershrimpscanbefrozenin1015minutesbyimmersingtheminbrineat20C.Verylongimmersiontimesresultin
anunacceptableproductbecauseofexcessiveuptakeofsalt.Shrimpcanalsobefrozensatisfactorilyinblocks50mmthick
inaverticalplatefreezertheshrimparepouredintoapolyethylenebagbetweenthefreezerplates,andthespaces
betweentheshrimparefilledwithwater.Freezingtimefora50mmblockinaplatefreezeroperatingat35Cis90minutes.
Theaddedwatergivesprotectionagainstphysicaldamagetotheshrimp,providesbettercontactduringfreezing,and
reducesdehydrationoftheshrimpduringsubsequentstorage.Thefrozenblocksmayneedafurtherwrapping,forexample
infibreboardcartons,tomakethemeasierandsafertohandleonamovingship.
Cookedwholeshrimpcanbefrozensatisfactorilyinaplatefreezerinthesamemannerasrawshrimp,butimmersion
freezingofcookedshrimpisunsatisfactorybecausethethawedshrimparedifficulttopeel,andthetextureofthemeatis
poorer.
COLDSTORAGEOFWHOLESHRIMP
Frozenshrimpshouldbestoredatseaat30C.Thefrozenshrimpcanbetransferredtoshorecoldstorageat30Con
arrivalattheport,orthawedimmediatelyforfurtherprocessing.
COOKINGONBOARD
Cookingimmediatelyaftercapturehelpstoretainthebestflavourandcolour,butfoodpoisoningbacteriacangrowrapidly
ontheproductifitbecomescontaminatedaftercooking.Inordertoreducetheriskoffoodpoisoning,thecookedshrimp
musteitherbefrozenonboardimmediately,orlandedandprocessedashorethesameday.Chilledstorageofcooked
shrimpatseaforseveraldayscannotberecommended.
Cookingtimemustbeasshortaspossibleslowboilingresultsinpoorflavourandtexture,andtheshrimplosemoreweight.
Aftersortingandwashing,theshrimparetippedintobrisklyboilingseawaterbatchesmustbesmallenoughtoallowthe
shrimptomovefreelyinthewater.Denselypackedshrimpwillnotcookuniformly.Theratioshouldbeabout1kgshrimpto
5litreswater,andtheheatinputshouldbesufficienttocooktheshrimpin67minutes.Atypicalshipboardboilermayhold
about90litresofwater,andwhen18kgshrimpat10Caretippedintothisamountofseawaterboilingat101C,thewater
temperaturewillfalltoabout86C.
Thewaterinashrimpboilershouldbechangedasoftenaspossibledissolvedproteinanddirtinthewatermayaccelerate
theproductionofoffodoursandflavoursintheshrimp.
Afterremovalfromtheboiler,theshrimparecooled.Onsmallinshoreshrimpvesselsthisisoftendonebyimmersingthe
shrimpinseawaterorbyspreadingthemoutoncleancanvasorwiremeshtraysintheopenair.Coolinginseawatercan
contaminatethecookedproduct,andcanvasortraysareextremelydifficulttokeepclean.Coolingbyevaporationalso
resultsinsomeweightloss.Wherepossiblethecookedshrimpshouldbepackedinpolyethylenebagsandsurroundedby
icetheshrimpcanbekeptchilledinthiswayuntiltheyarelandedlaterthesamedayorarefrozenonboard.
CHILLINGONBOARD
Aftersortingandwashing,therawwholeshrimparedrainedandpackediniceinshallowboxesthetimebetweencatching
andchillingmustbeshort.Adelayofanhourorsoonawarmdaycancauseconsiderablespoilage.
Theboxshouldbenotmorethanabout200mmdeeptoavoidcrushingthebottomshrimp.Alayerofflakeiceorfinely
crushedblockiceshouldbeplacedinthebottomofthebox.Alayerofshrimpnotmorethan50mmdeepshouldbelaidon
theiceandcoveredwithmoreice.Successivelayersofshrimpandicearethenaddeduntiltheboxisfull.Boxesmustnot
beoverfilled,orshrimpwillbecrushedwhenboxesarestacked.Theshrimpshouldstillbewellcoveredwithicewhenthey

arelandediftheyarenot,theninsufficienticehasbeenused.Asmuchas1kgiceto1kgshrimpmaybeneededinan
uninsulatedfishroominsummer.Thefishroomtemperatureshouldbekeptat13Csothattheicemeltsslowlymeltwater
shouldbefreetodrainfromthebottomofabox.
Rawwholedeepwatershrimpstowedincrushedicewillkeepingoodconditionforupto4days,butforbestresultstheiced
shrimpshouldbeprocessedonshorewithin2daysofcapture.Thetypicalshrimpflavourdisappearscompletelyafter6days
iniceandthemeatsbecomesoft,discoloured,anddifficulttopeelafter8dayssourfishyodoursandflavoursdevelop.
Shrimpprocessingplantsonshoreshouldnotuseicedrawmaterialmorethan4daysoldforsubsequentcooking,peeling
andfreezing.
Discolorationduetomelanosis,orblackspotasitiscommonlycalled,isnotaseriousprobleminshrimpfromUKgrounds,
becauseitnormallydoesnotoccuruntilaftertheshrimphavespoiledsomuchastobealreadyunacceptable.
Refrigeratedseawater,rsw,canbeusedasanalternativetoiceforthestowageofrawwholeshrimpatsea.Theshrimp
willkeepingoodconditionforupto4daysinrswat0C,butforbestresultstheyshouldbeprocessedonshorewithin2
daysofcapture.Asuitablestowagerateis2kgshrimpto1litreofwatertheseawatercanberefrigeratedmechanicallyor
bytheadditionofice.
Deepwatershrimpstoredinrswhaveagenerallymoreattractiveappearancethanicedshrimpofthesameagetheraw
wholeshrimplookcleanerandhaveabetterpinkcolour,andthecookedmeatsareagainpinkerthantheiriced
counterparts.Thereissomeuptakeofsaltrawrswshrimpcontainabout2percentbyweightofsaltafter23daysstorage,
whichisnormallyanacceptableconcentration.

Handlingshrimponshore
Wholerawshrimpshouldbeprocessedatfactoriesclosetotheportsoflanding.Unlessfreezingfacilitiesareavailableon
boardthecatcher,allprocessing,includingcooking,isbetterdoneashore.Inshorespeciesofshrimpaswellasdeepwater
shrimpcanbecookedandfurtherprocessedonshoreundermorehygienicconditionswithlittlelossofqualityiftheyareiced
atseaimmediatelyaftercapture.
FREEZINGOFWHOLESHRIMP
Themethodsdescribedearlierforfreezingshrimpatseaareequallyapplicableonshore,providedthechilledrawmaterialis
frozenwithin23daysofcapturethethawedproductcanthenbeusedforfurtherprocessinginthesamewayasfresh
shrimp.
COLDSTORAGEOFWHOLESHRIMP
Wholeshrimp,raworcooked,frozenindividuallyinairblastorinblockswithwaterinaplatefreezer,willkeepingood
conditionincoldstoreat30Cforatleast6months.Individuallyfrozenwholeshrimpwillkeepfor34monthsingood
conditionat20C,andforonly1monthat10Cwholeshrimpstoredat10Caremoredifficulttopeelwhenthawed.
Blocksofshrimpwithaddedwaterwillkeepalittlelongeratthesetemperatures,upto6monthsat20Cand23monthsat
10C.Itisrecommendedthatwhereverpossiblewholeshrimpbeingstoredforanindefiniteperiodshouldbekeptat30C.
Rawandcookedfrozenwholeshrimpdevelopcoldstoreodoursandflavoursduringstorage,andthehigherthestorage
temperature,themorequicklytheydevelop.Shrimpcookedafterfreezingandcoldstorageareusuallypalerincolourthan
shrimpthatarecookedbeforefreezing.Bothrawandcookedwholeshrimpmustbeadequatelyprotectedagainst
dehydrationduringcoldstorage,eitherbyglazingorbysuitablepackagingtheshelloftheshrimpprovidesnoprotection.
Glazingshouldbeinspectedperiodicallyandrenewedasrequired.
THAWINGOFFROZENWHOLESHRIMP
Blocksofwholeshrimpfrozenatseaoronshorecanbethawedinairorwater.Thawingtimesforatypicalcommercial
blockmeasuring1050mm530mm50mmthickandcontainingabout18kgshrimpand6kgwaterareasfollows20
hoursinstillairat18C,2hoursinsaturatedmovingairat18C,1hoursimmersedinwaterat18Cand1hourinawater
sprayat18C.Thewaterspraymethodisthefastestbecausethefinejetshelptobreakuptheblockasindividualshrimp
thawonthesurface,thusexposingagreatersurfacearea.Witheachofthemethods,theblocksaresoftenoughtobreakup
byhandbeforetheshrimparefullythawed,butitisdifficulttodothiswithoutdamagingsomeoftheshrimp.
Thethawedshrimpcanbefurtherprocessedinthesamewayaswholechilledshrimp.
Individuallyfrozenshrimpcanbethawedinafewminutes,ortheycanbecookeddirectlyfromthefrozenstate.
SIZEGRADING
Wholerawshrimponreceiptatthefactoryarefirstgradedforsize,sincelargeshrimparegenerallymorevaluablethan
smallones,andmechanicalpeelersrequireasupplyofshrimpwithinafixedsizerange.Smallshrimpthatareuneconomic
topeelareeitherdiscardedorareusedinchoppedformasrawmaterialforvariousproducts.
COOKING
Shrimparecookedtoprovideaproductthatisreadytoeat,andtoloosenthemeatintheshellpriortopeeling.
Thecookingprocesscanbemoreeasilycontrolledonshorethanatseamorespaceisavailable,betterheatingsystems
canbeused,andinstrumentationismorepracticable.Ashortbriskcookisbetterthanalongslowone.Theratioofshrimp
towatershouldbeaslowaspossible,sothatthewaterreturnstotheboilasquicklyaspossibleaftertheshrimphavebeen
putin.Witharatioof1kgshrimpto20litresofwater,thetemperatureofthewaterwillfallinitiallytoabout95C,andthere
shouldbesufficientheatavailabletobringitbacktotheboilin12minutes.Thewaterintheboilershouldcontain35per
centsalttheuseofstrongerbrinescancausediscolorationofthemeatsduringsubsequentchilledstorage.
Cookingtimeisimportantabout3minutesisusuallysufficientforUKshrimp,buttheprecisetimeforacertainsizeorquality
ofshrimpshouldbedeterminedbyexperiment.Theboilingtimeshouldbelongenoughtodevelopfullytheflavourand
textureoftheshrimpmeat,andtoloosenthemeatfromtheshellovercookingcandestroytheflavourandcancauselossof
weight.
Aliddedwiremeshbasketcanbeusedforimmersingthebatchesofshrimp,andthebasketofshrimpshouldbeagitated
gentlyinthewatertoensureuniformcooking.Scumshouldberemovedfromthesurfaceofthewaterasoftenaspossible,
andthewaterintheboilerchangedfrequently,preferablyseveraltimesaday.
COOLING
Theshrimpshouldbecooledimmediatelyaftercooking.Coolinginairisclaimedtogivethewholecookedshrimpabetter
colourbut,unlesstheshrimparetobemarketedinthisform,itisrecommendedtheybecooledinwater.Theyieldofmeat
fromwatercooledshrimpcanbeupto4percenthigherthanfromaircooledshrimp.Theycaneitherbeimmerseddirect
intochilledwaterforabout3minutesuntiltheyareatatemperatureofabout0C,ortheycanbecooledintwostages,first
inwaterattapdeliverytemperatureandtheninchilledwater.Thelattermethodwillbemoreeconomicintermsoficeor
mechanicalrefrigeration.Theshrimpshouldneverbelefttosoakanylongerthanisnecessarytochillthem.Assoonasthey

aredowntochilltemperature,theyshouldbeliftedout,drained,packedincleanboxesandtransferredeitherdirecttothe
peelingareaorintoachillroom.Waterandiceusedforcoolingmustbecleanhygieneisimportant,andachlorination
systemmaybenecessary.
PEELING
Brownshrimpandpinkshrimpfrominshorewatersarestillnormallypeeledbyhand,butmachinesarenowavailablethat
willhandlethelargerdeepwatershrimp.
Inhandpeeling,thebodyoftheshrimpisheldinonehand,andtheheadtwistedoffwiththeother.Thefirsttwoorthree
segmentsofshellarethenbrokenopenwiththethumb,andthetailissqueezedtoreleasethemeat.Askilledworkercan
peel23kgwholeshrimpanhour.
AmericanandDanishpeelingmachinesarenowavailablecommerciallythatcanhandledeepwatershrimp.Successivepairs
ofrollersbeheadtheshrimp,splittheshellalongthebackandpulltheshellfromthemeats.Outputdependsonthesizeof
shrimp,butasinglemachinecanpeelasmuchshrimpas16handworkers.
Shrimpareoftenconsumedwithoutanyfurthercookingthereforeparticularattentionmustbepaidtohygieneand
sanitation.Regularbacteriologicalcontrolofprocessingisimportantforthistypeofproduct.Themainsourceofbacterial
contaminationofcookedshrimpisthepeelingprocess,particularlyhandpeeling.Workersmustwashtheirhandsfrequently,
andallworkingsurfacesmustbekeptscrupulouslyclean.Recommendedproceduresforfactorycleaningaregivenin
AdvisoryNote45Cleaninginthefishindustry.Theuseofchlorinatedwaterontheprocessinglinecanbeofconsiderable
helpinkeepingdowncontamination,butshrimpwastemustnotbeallowedtoaccumulatesincethechlorineisrapidly
inactivatedbyprotein.Theshrimpmustbekeptcoolthroughouttheprocess.
Machinepeelingresultsinfarlessrecontaminationofcookedshrimpthanhandpeeling.Providedthepeelingmachinesare
cleanedatfrequentintervals,theriskofincreasingspoilageorintroducingfoodpoisoningbacteriaismuchlesswithmachine
peelingthanwithhandpeeling.
Whererawmeatsarerequiredforfurtherprocessing,thawedfrozenwholeshrimparemucheasiertopeelthanveryfresh
unfrozenshrimp.Peelingofunfrozenshrimpbecomeseasierafter12dayschilledstorage.
YIELDANDPACKINGDENSITY
Yieldofmeatfromwholeshrimpisvariouslyquotedasrangingfrom20to45percent,butitisnotalwaysspecifiedwhether
theyieldisfromraworcookedwholeshrimp.Theheadconstitutesabout40percentoftheweightofwholerawshrimp,and
thetailshellandlegsafurther15percentyieldofrawmeatisthusabout45percent.Theyieldofcooked,peeledmeats
fromsamplesofrawwholedeepwatershrimp,weighedfirstafterfreezingandthawingandagainaftercookingandhand
peeling,isabout28percent.Theweightlossduringa3minutecookisabout26percent,andafurther46percentislost
duringhandpeeling.Iftheinitialweightistakentobethatofthewholecookedshrimp,theyieldonhandpeelingisabout38
percent.Thereislittledifferencebetweenyieldsfromlargedeepwatershrimp,counting190/kg,andmediumsizedones
counting320/kg.
Packingdensities,basedonafewmeasurementsofsamplesofdeepwatershrimp,areprovisionallyasfollows
Packingdensityofdeepwatershrimpkg/m3

Raw
Cooked

Unfrozen

Frozen

whole

560

360

meats

890

440

whole

500

meats

620

400

DIPPING
AnumberofdippingtreatmentsbetweenpeelingandfreezingofdeepwatershrimphavebeentriedinBritishtradepractice,
inordertoimproveflavourorcolour.Forexample,salt,monosodiumglutamate,citricacidorsodiumcitrate,polyphosphate
anddyehaveallbeen,orarebeing,usedatsomestageintheprocess.Thevalueofsomeofthesetreatmentsis
questionable.Wheredippingsolutionsareused,theyshouldbekeptchilledandrenewedatfrequentintervalstoprevent
bacterialcontaminationofthecookedmeats.
Themeatsaresometimesdippedina37percentsaltsolutionwhenthesaltuptakeduringboilingisfoundtobeinsufficient.
Monosodiumglutamateisusedtoenhanceflavour,andtheuseofpolyphosphateisclaimedtoreduceweightlosson
thawing.Citricacidorsodiumcitrateisusedtoreducediscolorationofmeats,anddyeisusedtogiveauniformpinkcolour
thedyeissometimesaddedatthecookingstage.Mostifnotallofthesetreatmentsshouldbeunnecessaryongoodquality
shrimpmeatshandledandprocessedexpeditiously.
FREEZINGOFMEATS
Thepeeledmeatscanbefrozenindividuallyorinblocks.Individuallyquickfrozen,IQF,meatsareparticularlysuitablefor
cateringandretailoutlets,sincetherequiredamountcanbedispensedfromthepackwithoutthawing.Meatsinblockssuffer
lessweightlossduringfreezing,andarebetterprotectedincoldstorage,buthavethedisadvantagethatacompleteblock
hastobethawedandusedatonetime.
IQFmeatscanbefrozenineitheranairblastfreezeroraliquidnitrogenfreezer.Theairblastfreezercanbeeitherabatch
orcontinuoustype,butdelaysbetweenfreezerandcoldstorearemorelikelywithabatchfreezer,andindividualsmall
meatscanwarmquicklyduringthistimecontinuousfreezersarethereforerecommendedtoensureasteadyflowoffrozen
meatsfromfreezertocoldstore.Thefluidisedbedtypeoffreezerisusedforfreezingindividualshrimpbut,wherethemeats
aremovedthroughthefreezerentirelybyagitationinair,thereissomeweightlostintheformofpulpedmeatormush,
whichmayhavetoberecoveredandutilizedinsomeway.Amodifiedformoffluidisedbedfreezerisavailablethat
overcomesthisdifficultybyagitatingthemeatsjustenoughatthestartoffreezingtoensurethattheyareindividuallyfrozen,
andthenmovingthembybeltthroughtheremainderofthefreezingprocess.
IQFmeatsofdeepwatershrimprequireafreezingtimeofabout10minutesat30Cinairmovingat5m/second.Liquid
nitrogenfreezersarecompactandcanfreezeshrimpmeatsquicklyafreezingtimeof35minutesistypical,buttheyare
expensivetooperate,andahighdegreeofutilizationisessentialinordertokeepdowncost.Sheetsofplasticsfilmortrays
withnonsticksurfacesmayhavetobeusedtopreventthemeatsadheringtothefreezerbelt.Ifthemeatsarenotlaidout
individually,someinevitablysticktogether,andseparationofthesebeforepackingaddstothelabourcost.
Blocksofshrimpmeatsarenormallypreparedbypackingthemeatsintotraysormouldsandfreezingtheminahorizontal
platefreezer.Thetraysareslightlyoverfilledsothatthereiscompactingduringfreezingtogiveahomogeneousblock.A
typicalblockis2530mmthick.Thefreezingtimefora25mmblockinahorizontalplatefreezeroperatingat35Cisabout
40minutes.Thefrozenblocksareusuallypackedincartonswithaninnerwrapper,andthenmovedtocoldstore.
Alternativelytheshrimpmaybecartonedbeforefreezingthefreezingtimefora25mmblockinacartonisabout50
minutes.

PACKINGANDGLAZING
Individuallyquickfrozenmeatsforsaletocaterersandretailersarenormallyweighedintoflexiblefilmbagswhicharesealed
andpackedinfibreboardoutercartonsforstorageanddistribution.Thefilmusedfortheindividualpacksshouldhaveahigh
resistancetothepassageofwatervapourandoxygen,sothatdehydrationandoxidationarekepttoaminimumfor
examplealaminateofpolyethyleneandpolyester,orasinglepolyamidefilm,issuitable.
Theindividualmeatsareoftenglazed,thatisdippedincoldwatertocoatthemwithice,beforepackingthem,toprotectthe
productagainstdryingincoldstorage.However,packinginsealedfilmbagsissufficienttoprotecttheunglazedproduct
undergoodcommercialconditions.Vacuumpackingwillgiveaddedprotectionagainstthepossibilityofoccasionalpoor
commercialcoldstorage.Itisextremelydifficulttocontroltheamountoficepickedupbysmallmeatsduringglazing,dueto
variationinsizeandtemperatureofthefrozenproduct,thetemperatureoftheglazingwater,andthedurationofthedipping
orsprayingprocess.Theproportionofglazetototalglazedweightcanvaryfrom10to40percent.Theweightofglazeis
usuallyincludedinthedeclaredweightofcontentsofconsumerpacks,andtheresultinglossofweightonthawingcancause
customerdissatisfaction.Successfulprosecutionshavebeenbroughtagainstprocessorsforexcessiveapplicationofglazeto
shellfishmeats.
Theadditionofglazealsoresultsinconsiderablewarmingoftheproduct,anditmaybenecessarytorefreezeinorderto
avoidimposinganexcessiveheatloadonthecoldstore.Meatsfrozeninliquidnitrogenareoftenatalowenough
temperaturetocausetheglazetoshatterandbecomeineffectiveasaprotectivebarrier.Forallthesereasonsitisstrongly
recommendedthatthepracticeofglazingindividualmeatsforsaletocaterersandretailersbediscontinuedandreplacedby
adequatepacking.
Blocksofshrimpmeatscanbeglazedasanalternativetoprotectivepackaging,ortheycanbewrappedinasuitableplastics
filmandpackedinfibreboardouters.Bulklotsofindividuallyfrozenmeatsawaitingfurtherprocessingcanalsobeglazed
beforestorage.Itmustberememberedthatglazedproductsincoldstoremustbeinspectedperiodicallyandtheglaze
renewedasrequired.
COLDSTORAGEOFMEATS
Frozencookedshrimpmeatsshouldbestoredat30Ctheywillkeepingoodconditionatthistemperature,providedthey
areproperlywrappedorglazed,foratleast6months.Longtermstorageathighertemperaturesisnotrecommendedfor
exampleafter34monthsat20Cthedevelopmentofundesirableodourandflavourandpoortexturecanmaketheproduct
unacceptable.
CANNEDSHRIMP
ShrimpmeatsarenotcannedcommerciallyintheUKatthepresenttime.TypicalNorthAmericanpracticemayserveasa
guidetothoseconsideringthepossibilitiesofcanning.Thepeeledmeatsareblanchedbyimmersingthemfor23minutesin
boilingwatercontaining68percentsalt,cooledanddrainedonaconveyorandpackedbyhandintocanslinedwitha
sulphurresistantlacquer.Foratypicalwetpack,hotbrinecontaining23percentsaltisaddedtothecan,andsometimesa
smallamountofcitricacidisaddedtoreduceironsulphidediscoloration.Thecansareclosedwithoutexhaustingatabout
65Candthenheatprocessedinaretort.A150gcanrequiresabout10minutesat120Cor20minutesat115C.A250g
canrequiresabout12minutesat120Cor35minutesat115C.Thecansarecooledtoabout38Cintheretort,then
removed,driedandstackedforabout48hoursbeforelabelling,cartoningandstorage.Sometimesadrypackismadeby
blanchingthemeatsfor810minutesandpackingtheminparchmentlinedcanswithoutbrine.Thecansareevacuated,
sealedandheatprocessedforabout60minutesat120C,or85minutesat115C,fora150gcan.
Thewetpackprocesscanbemodifiedforpackingshrimpmeatsinglass.
SMOKEDSHRIMP
Coldsmokedproductscanbemadefromshrimp.Wholeheadlessshrimp,orpeeledmeats,areboiledina10percentsalt
solutionforabout3minutes,drainedforabout2hours,laidonoiledmeshtraysandsmokedinamechanicalkilnfor11
hoursat30C.Theyieldofheadlesssmokedshrimpfromwholerawshrimpisabout36percent.Thebriningandsmoking
treatmentscanbevariedtosuitparticulartastes.
POTTEDSHRIMP
IntheUKcookedpeeledmeatsareheatedinmeltedbutter,sometimeswithaddedspices,andthenladledintocontainers,
typicallywaxedcartonsthemixtureisleftuntilthebutterhasset,lidsareputonandthecartonsarewrappedingreaseproof
paperandpackedinoutercartonsfordispatch.Theproductishighlyperishableandshouldbesoldwithin12daysof
manufacture.
OTHERSHRIMPPRODUCTS
Shrimpmeatscanbeusedinthepreparationofanumberofseafoodproducts,includingpastes,spreads,crisps,soups,
bisques,saucesandotherprepareddishes,mostofwhichcanbestoredforlongperiodsafterfreezingorcanning.Itisnot
possiblewithinthespaceofthisnotetogiveindividualmethodsofpreparation.

Compositionofshrimp
Rawshrimpmeatcontains7580percentwater,1820percentproteinandabout1percentfatcookedmeatcontains65
70percentwater,2530percentproteinandabout1percentfat.Thecalorificvalueofcookedshrimpmeatisabout4.5
kJ/g.VitaminsAandDarepresentinsmallquantities.

Shrimpwaste
Shrimpwaste,thatisheadsandshells,canbeusedtoproduceashrimpmealcontaining4045percentcrudeproteinand5
percentmoistureaftercooking,dryingandgrinding.Chitinanditsderivativechitosanhavealsobeenextractedfromshrimp
wasteonacommercialscaleinNorthAmerica.Glucosaminehydrochloride,whichcanbederivedfromshellwaste,has
beensuggestedasapossiblecommercialsourceofglucosamine.
SmallwholeshrimparealsosometimescookedanddriedontheContinentandusedforfeedingpoultryandfarmedtrout
theshrimpareboiledfor4minutesandthenplacedonmeshtraysinasuitabledryingkilnforabout8hours.