Effects of Drying Methods on Quality Attributes of Shrimps

Shrimps are fresh and saltwater animal on aquatic habitat. They are known today as one of the fastest growing food commodities in international trade, maybe as a result of their perceived health benefits, culinary attributes and importantly, being a source of protein. The effects of two major drying methods; sun-drying and oven-drying at 50°C, 60°C or 70°C were investigated on the nutritional, microbiological and sensory properties of shrimp powder. From the result of the study, it was observed that the sun-dried shrimp powder had higher moisture content than the oven-dried shrimp powder. There were slight variations in the proximate compositions of the shrimp powder. The total yeast count was higher in the sun-dried shrimp powder (38× 10-5 cfu/g) and the lowest yeast count was observed in oven-dried shrimp powder at 70°C (19× 10-5 cfu/g). Also, the oven-dried shrimp powder at 70°C had the lowest total viable count (TVC) of 12× 10-5 cfu/g while higher TVC was observed in the sun-dried shrimp powder (36× 10-5 cfu/g). Neither mold nor coliform growth was observed on both sun-dried and oven-dried shrimp powder. The result of the sensory evaluation revealed the significant effects of drying methods on the sensory parameters of shrimps. There were significant differences in consumer preferences for aroma, appearance, color, taste and overall acceptability. The oven-dried shrimp powder at 70°C was preferred in all parameters evaluated than the sun-dried powder.