Live shrimp in the marketplace is popular due to its premium price, low processing costs and the minimal US regulations that must be adhered to if the product is still live.
However, there is not much live shrimp available at present in the US market and the usual transportation of live shrimp in water comes at a high price, due to the weight of water.
For this reason, David D. Kuhn, looked at how shrimp can be transported live without water.
In his study, Mr Kuhn used paper, sawdust or wood shavings as packing materials. The shrimp were first 'cooled' to a holding temperature, packed into the various materials and the warmed up (re acclimation) at the destination.
The study found that shrimp transported best in wood shavings at a holding temperature of 15°c. The acclimation and re-acclimation rates were also much faster than previously reported.
In terms of further research, Mr Kuhn stated that the study needs to be carried out at different times of the year and the welfare of the shrimp also needs to be better understood.
