Effect of Freeze-Drying and Cooking on Shrimp Quality
Abstract Approximately 500 pounds of white shrimp were stored in crushed ice until they decomposed. Portions were withdrawn at intervals and processed. Based on judgments of odor, shrimp that reached a stage of incipient decomposition before processing were rated as passable after they were freeze-dried or cooked. The organoleptic quality of samples that reached a stage of advanced decomposition was also improved by processing, but not to the extent of their being classified as passable. Aerobic plate counts increased during storage but they were reduced significantly by freezedrying or cooking. Although there were changes in composition during storage, the classical chemical tests used were of limited value for assessing the degree of decomposition. Also, many volatile decomposition products were lost during processing. Computing the results of chemical analyses on a moisturefree basis offered distinct advantages. Inasmuch as organoleptic, bacteriological, and chemical tests on the finished products failed to reveal the decomposed condition of the starting material, there is need for additional investigation of methods for that purpose.