Several melanosis-inhibiting formulas to enhance the quality of deepwater pink shrimp (Parapenaeus longirostris)

The aim of this work was to assess the effect of several melanosis-inhibiting formulations on quality of deepwater pink shrimp (Parapenaeus longirostris) during storage. The formulations tested were as follows: one containing 4-hexylresorcinol (0.1%) in combination with organic acids (citric, ascorbic and acetic) and chelating agents (ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid [EDTA] and di-sodium di-hydrogen pyrophosphate [PPi]); a commercial formula based on sulphites (3%), and another formulation containing a mixture of chitosan (0.3%) and commercial sulphites. Non-treated shrimp were used as control. The 4-hexylresorcinol-based formulation was more effective than 3% of commercial sulphite solutions in preventing melanosis. This treatment prolonged the sensory acceptability of shrimp by up to six days in ice storage. During chilled storage, the treatment with the 4-hexylresorcinol-based formula inhibited the growth of microorganisms by 1.5–2 log cycles as compared to commercial sulphites, especially HS-producers and pseudomonads. At the end of the experimental period, TVB-N levels were slightly higher in the lot treated with 4-hexylresorcinol (33 mg/100 mg) and reflected greater endogenous enzymatic activity, since the counts of the spoiler microorganisms remained around log 5 cfu/g or even lower. In general, the incorporation of chitosan to sulphites did not improve or produce a marked effect on shrimps during storage. During the sensory analysis, the panellists rated all the lots very similar, although the 4-hexylresorcinol formulation was the only one with a neutral odour at the end of the period. The 4-hexylresorcinol-based formulation induced yellow-green colorations to some extent in the cephalothorax, possibly due to the effect of organic acids and chelants, while the rest of the lots presented greyish/blackish colorations. Therefore, the formulation based on 4-hexylresorcinol may safely substitute traditional sulphites to improve the quality of fresh shrimp and prol