During fermentation, hydrolysis of food proteins by either microbial enzymes or endogenous enzymes
yield simpler compounds such as peptides, amino acids, and other nitrogenous substances . These peptides and amino acids are important contributors to the typical flavor and aroma of fermented products, and they also exhibit
antioxidant activities Thai fermented shrimp paste or Kapi is widely used as a condiment or an essential ingredient in
many Southeast Asian dishes due to its flavor and nutritional properties. Shrimp paste products are commonly made
by fishing families in coastal village of Thailand. Shrimp paste product from Klongkone village Samut Songkram
province is very well known and highly accepted by consumers due to its excellent sensory properties such as
flavor, aroma and texture. It is generally prepared by mixing the small shrimp (Acetes vulgaris) with salt at a ratio
of 10:1(w/w). The mixture is sundried for 3 days to less the moisture content and then thoroughly ground before
being compacted in a container. The paste is allowed to ferment under ambient conditions until the desired aroma
had developed. Klongkone shrimp paste is commercially fermented at 1-3 months before being sold to consumers.
Recently, it had been reported that antioxidant activity and amino nitrogen content of Klongkone shrimp paste
could be increased through prolonged fermentation for 9 months . However, fermentation time over 5 months
brought not only a slight decrease in amino nitrogen but also an increase in undesirable level of ammonia
(Prapasuwannakul, Suwannahong, & Saksri , 2014). Faithong, Benjakul, Phatcharat, & Binsan (2010) had
previously revealed that shrimp paste products from southern provinces of Thailand had high protein content and
exhibited strong antioxidant activities. However, the variation of raw materials, amount of salt, processing
conditions and fermentation time could affect the quality of the products. Therefore, the objective of this study was
to determine the chemical composition and antioxidant activity of fermented shrimp pastes from Klongkone village,
Thailand. The information obtained could be used to market the product as health foods with high market price.