The salt contents for all salt treatments were within the range of
those observed in marine shrimp, which have a salt content between
0.5 and 2.5% depending on storage conditions (Qingzhu, 2005). The
salt content data are also comparable to those observed for other meat
products. Brined poultry products typically contain approximately 2%
salt (Alvarado andMckee, 2007),which is the concentration in the marinated
no-shell prawns. These data suggest that salt content in themuscle
tissue is responsible for a flavor change that is a driving force behind
consumer acceptance. Consumers indicated a significantly greater preference
for the marinated no-shell prawns, which had the highest salt content.
The salt contents of the five treatments correspond well with the
sensory ratings for flavor and overall acceptance with a positive correlation
(r = 0.90) between salt content and overall consumer acceptance.
Live, post harvest salt acclimation in tanks enhances flavor because it
leads to the production of higher concentrations of glutamic acid (GA)
and inosine monophosphate (IMP) in the prawn tissue. GA and IMP
are flavor enhancers that contribute to umami, savory, and meaty
flavors in seafood and aquaculture products (Janip and Hajeb, 2010).
This observation may partially explain why the marinated shell-on
treatment and salt acclimated treatments received similar consumer acceptability
scores even though prawns from the marinated shell-on
treatment had a greater concentration of sodium chloride than the salt
acclimated treatments.