Introduction
Shrimp is a highly perishable commodity and its postharvest
handling and processing being labor intensive,
result in increased microbial contamination. In recent
years there is increase in the demand for convenience,
ready-to-cook/eat, shrimps. Individually quick frozen
(IQF) breaded shrimps are available in the market.
Freezing facilities are expensive and inadequate in
developing countries and thus there is only a very small
market for these products. Freezing being bacteriostatic
is not effective in eliminating pathogenic microbes, thus
posing a potential health hazard to the consumer
(Geraldine, 1992). Therefore, there is a need to develop
a technology, which can give shelf-stable and microbiologically
safe products that will be of great economic
and health significance.
In India, shrimps are traditionally sun dried and/or
heavily salted to preserve them at ambient temperature.