Chemical Changes Related to Loss of Quality in Pacific White Shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei) during Chilled Storage under Slurry Ice Conditions

Abstract

The effect of slurry ice on the quality of Pacific white shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei) during chilling storage was investigated and compared with flake ice. Increases of total volatile base nitrogen and thiobarbituric acid reactive substance values in shrimp treated with slurry ice were found to be significantly slower during slurry ice storage than its values during flake ice storage (P < 0.05). Slurry ice-treated samples showed significantly higher springiness and chewiness variables than control (stored at 4C) and flake ice-treated samples (P < 0.05). Myofibrillar protein, Ca2+-ATPase activity and total sulfhydryl (SH) content in shrimp treated with slurry ice were all significantly higher than control and flake-iced samples (P < 0.05). This was probably due to the faster cooling, subzero final temperature and larger heat exchange derived from slurry ice. Sensory evaluation also confirmed that slurry ice treatment lowered the melanosis level effectively and inhibited lipid oxidation in shrimp, increasing stability and improving sensory properties. Practical Applications Slurry ice has been reported to slow down microbial growth and provides a significantly increased shelf life for a broad variety of marine species, such as salmon, sea bream, sea bass, bigeye snapper, horse mackerel and pink shrimp. However, there are few reports focused on the effect of slurry ice on functional properties of proteins (such as myofibrillar proteins) related to quality loss of marine species. This work provides information on the preservation of slurry ice on functional properties of proteins related to quality loss during chilled storage of Pacific white shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei). The presented application may provide a deep understanding about the potential applications of slurry ice, with special attention being paid to the myofibrillar functional changes during the chilled storage.