A study on value-added preparation of shrimp

Title: Value-added preparation of shrimp (Penaeus monodon) in the economy of
south asian countries like Bangladesh

By : Md. Masud Hasan, Chief Microbiolost, Sar & Co., Ltd, Bangladesh

Abstract:

In all developed countries food habits are changing. The consumers are no longer willing to depend on excessive time for preparing food. “Heat and eat” fishery products have proved well to be perfect niche for seafood at the retain level, because these are convenient to the consumers. In catering and retail sectors in the USA, EU and also in Japan, market demand for specific value added products have been rising. Effort was made to assess a comparative study from a same batch of Black Tiger (Penaeus monodon) shrimp through 1 traditional HL/SO Block Frozen (Product A) and 4 value-added IQF (Product B-E) processing line. The net profit showed 7.79 % in case of traditional block frozen Product A and 26.86 %, 33.22 %, 39.58 % & 52.41 % showed the net profit in case of value added IQF Product B,C,D & E respectively. The microbiological analysis of shrimp at the receiving and exportable frozen condition was also carried out. The average SPC, Total Coloform and Faecal Coliform of received shrimp were 27.5 x 105/gm, 287/gm and 67/gm respectively. After freezing the decrease of traditional block frozen product A showed 51.6 %, whereas the decrease of value added IQF Product B, C, D & E showed 51.6%, 89.5%, 903.2%, 97.8% and 98.6% respectively. The SPC, Total Coliform and Faecal Coliform in traditional block frozen product A exceeded the standard limit, whereas in value-added IQF Product B-E fell within the limits of Bangladesh and ICMSF standard. From this study it is quite evident that there is a bright future of value-added seafood products, if concerned authorities and exporters come forward to take steps for producing more value-added seafood products.

Introduction:

Fisheries is the fastest growing enterprise within the Agriculture sector and is gaining significant momentum in several parts of the world. Shrimp aquaculture has emerged and established as a valuable foreign exchange earner for developing countries and as an alternative to meet the protein requirement of the increasing world population (Hossain, 2001). In Bangladesh, shrimp farming is an age-old practice. Early 90s witnessed a quantum jump in the development of shrimp farming without proper planning. In 1994, shrimp culture sector encountered serious problem of disease outbreak (Larkins, 1995). The incidence of viral infections increases rapidly as shrimp culture intensifies, and secondary bacterial infections on environmental stress subsequently cause high mortality (Lightner and Redman, 1998; Hsu et al., 2000). Among the recognized causative agents of infectious disease are bacteria, fungi, protozoa and viruses (Otta et al, 1998). It is evident from the research surveys that aquatic fauna of Bangladesh harvesting from eco-friendly environment. Traditional extensive aquaculture practice provide an average production of 180kgs/hector which are nearer to organic because of the fact no hazardous chemicals such as antibiotics, growth hormones, tranquilizer, genetically modified organisms used for yield optimization and even the inland fresh water, near-shore and off-shore sea water bodies are still free from biological or chemical pollution (Ahmed, 2002).

Inspectors from the Food and veterinary Office (FVO) of the European Commission visited shrimp sector o f Bangladesh on November 7-17, 2005 and on October 17-24, 2007. The inspection team comprised of four inspectors from FVO and one official of the Department of Fisheries (DOF), Bangladesh. The mission team was very critical about the microbiological and chemical analysis at the FIQC Labs and BCSIR. In general conclusion, the team report revealed that “Officials control of establishments producing fishery products are systematically carried out. Follow up is globally properly performed. However, in certain establishments some deficiencies, despite being recorded by CA, were found to be still present.” It further revealed that “Establishments generally work under good structural & hygiene conditions and have improved and invested significantly since the last FVO mission carried out in 1997 and 2007.” At the recommendations, the mission highlighted all components of the compliances i.e. updating legislation to meet the EU requirements, systematic control of the production (from farm to fork) to detect food safety related deficiencies, continue follow up of the enforcement activities with in-depth investigation in time, correction of deficiencies found in the establishments and urgent actions to improve the performance of the laboratories involved in official controls and to improve the reliability of their results.

Meanwhile, the Competent Authority (Department of Fisheries) has supported to the FVO findings and recommendations in due time. In this regard, the present work has been undertaken to fill up some gaps of the EU findings. The CA at a letter pointed out the steps they have taken and planning to improve the sector. It may be mentioned here that the export of fishery products contributes about 5% of the GDP of Bangladesh and makes it second biggest export sector after Ready made Garments (RMG). In 2004, Bangladesh exported 24,200 M. Tons of fishery products to the EU, of which 20,000 M. Tons were shrimp. Main exporting countries are Belgium, United Kingdom, The Netherlands and Germany. A total 68 shrimp & fish processing plants were licensed by GOB, of which 59 are approved by the European Commission (BFFEA Report, 2005). Meanwhile all licensed factories have developed their HACCP based QA Manual & some of these have been verified HACCP System in their establishments following SSOP & SOP. Frozen foods, particularly shrimp products have been playing a vital role in our national economy since independence. Starting with a meager export earning of US$ 3.5 million in 1972-73, it has recorded maximum earning of US$460in the year 2005-06 and contributed more than 5% of the GDP (BFFEA Report, 2007).

Shrimp is the main aquaculture species of value addition. Among seafood, shrimp exhibit the widest range and highest degree of value addition. Nearly 50 value-added shrimp products are marketed globally. In addition availability, the species and sizes of shrimp raw material determine the suitability and techno-economic feasibility of its value addition. Although exporters from Bangladesh are increasingly turning to export processing of value-added products, most shrimp is still exported in conventional processed forms: block Headless Shell-On (HLSO); Peeled and Deveined (PD); or Peeled and Undeveined (PUD) shrimp. For an industry used to such products, value addition is a challenge that should be approached gradually unless there is rapid injection of capital and technical know-how. Otherwise, it is always safer to start small and move forward slowly with a safe and healthy balance of conventional and value-added items in a product line. Value addition should always focus on market and consumer expectations. Hence, market research and trade fair participation should be an integral part of any effort.

The present work is new in the field of shrimp processing & its economical demand. It is sincerely hoped that the findings of this work will continue to certain extent to boost up the quality of value-added shrimps.

Materials & Methods:

The present research work started in March, 2007 and continued till September, 2007 in an HACCP based shrimp processing plant named Sar & Co., Ltd. (EU Approval No. CTG-31; USFDA Code No. BC-18 and USFDA Reg. No. 10054936244) in Chittagong, Bangladesh. The raw material was addressed to the post harvest handling and care, towards good operating practice, hygiene and sanitary measures which was implemented by HACCP. The processing technology was conducted through the cold chain management system at <80C and the final frozen product temp. was below -180C.Shrimp samples were collected for microbiological test at final frozen condition before shipment. All shrimp samples were transferred to the laboratory in sterile polybags and were analyzed microbiologically. The microbiological method followed ICMSF, 1986.

Results and Discussion:
The received product arrived in the plant was head on raw black tiger (Penaeus monodon) shrimp and on the processing line the product was beheaded. Of the 5 kinds of frozen products, 1 traditional Block Frozen product (BT. HL/SO. Raw. BF, denoted as Product A) and 4 value-added IQF product (BT.PD.T/ON.Raw.IQF; BT.PD.Skewer.Raw.IQF; BT.PD.Blanched.IQF and BT.PD.T/ON. Cooked.IQF denoted as Product B, C, D and E respectively.
All production in the plant was conducted under strict sanitation principles. Standard instructions were given to shrimp handlers to come to the production area only after bathing, trimmed nails and changing into sanitized aprons, gloves etc. Gum boots/shoes were only used in the production area. All personnel had to go through the foot-dip area where the chlorinated water sanitized their footwear. All hair/facial hair was covered with the help of caps and masks. The same was ensured by frequent checking before entering and while in the production area. The processing plant has a regular schedule for washing of hands and gloves every time they leave and enter the processing area. Prior to handling product or when hands became soiled all personnel sanitized their hands by dipping in chlorine solution of 50 ppm strength kept in hand dip basins located closest to their table. Nail polish, watches, any kind of jewelers, smoking, chewing battle leaf, spitting or any edibles were strictly not allowed inside the production area. Access to the plant was limited and the surrounding areas were clean and free of stray/roaming animals. Processing tables were stainless steel which exhibits bacterial build up. Equipments and utensils were cleaned and sanitized prior to and after use. Time and temperature controls were enforced at every stage of process chain. Work-in-process was handled in a manner that protected against contamination by adopting FIFO and production planning accordingly. SSOPs and GMPs were the two boundaries within which all operations were performed/done/executed.

The received product arrived in the plant was head on raw black tiger (Penaeus monodon) shrimp and on the processing line the product was beheaded. Of the 5 kinds of frozen products, 1 traditional Block Frozen product (BT. HL/SO. Raw. BF, denoted as Product A) and 4 value-added IQF product (BT.PD.T/ON.Raw.IQF; BT.PD.Skewer.Raw.IQF; BT.PD.Blanched.IQF and BT.PD.T/ON. Cooked.IQF denoted as Product B, C, D and E respectively.
All production in the plant was conducted under strict sanitation principles. Standard instructions were given to shrimp handlers to come to the production area only after bathing, trimmed nails and changing into sanitized aprons, gloves etc. Gum boots/shoes were only used in the production area. All personnel had to go through the foot-dip area where the chlorinated water sanitized their footwear. All hair/facial hair was covered with the help of caps and masks. The same was ensured by frequent checking before entering and while in the production area. The processing plant has a regular schedule for washing of hands and gloves every time they leave and enter the processing area. Prior to handling product or when hands became soiled all personnel sanitized their hands by dipping in chlorine solution of 50 ppm strength kept in hand dip basins located closest to their table. Nail polish, watches, any kind of jewelers, smoking, chewing battle leaf, spitting or any edibles were strictly not allowed inside the production area. Access to the plant was limited and the surrounding areas were clean and free of stray/roaming animals. Processing tables were stainless steel which exhibits bacterial build up. Equipments and utensils were cleaned and sanitized prior to and after use. Time and temperature controls were enforced at every stage of process chain. Work-in-process was handled in a manner that protected against contamination by adopting FIFO and production planning accordingly. SSOPs and GMPs were the two boundaries within which all operations were performed/done/executed.

In the present study Table 1 shows indicates the total bacterial count (SPC) of plant received shrimp was 27.5 x 105 /gm ranging from 106/gm to 106.5/gm. Jayaweera and Subasinghe (1988) found total bacterial counts from 1.4 x 105/gm to 2.6 x 107/gm, with a majority of shrimp samples in the 106-107/gm (45.5%) and 105-106/gm (37.5 %) range. Sumner (1982) found total bacterial counts ranging from 105-108/gm for raw material used in shrimp processing. Fonseka (1985) reported counts of 106/gm for shrimp. Shewan (1971), Baer et al., (1976). Green (1949), William (1952), Pillai (1961) and Jacob (1962) performed the quantitative studies on bacteria of received shrimp. They found that counts ranged from 104 to 107/gm. Sreenivasan (1959) worked on freshly caught whole shrimp. He found 1.8X106/gm probably due to one or more factors, namely size of shrimp, size of the bottom in which the shrimps inhabits, its intestinal flora and contact with extraneous contaminants. Surendran (1985) reported that the initial bacterial load ranged from 103-104/gm for shrimps collected in sterile containers from the trawlers, thus avoiding normal handling practices. The present result more or less complies with the findings of the above authors except Surendran (1985).

After process the varieties items of frozen product samples were collected from the frozen storage. The SPC of frozen product A, B, C, D and E were 13.5 x 105/gm; 2.9 x 105 /gm; 2.7 x 105 /gm; 0.6 x 105 /gm and 0.4 x 105 /gm respectively resulting 51.6 %, 89.5 %, 90.2 %, 97.89 % and 98.6 % reduction in comparison with the receiving raw material (Table 2 & 3). This result more or less comply with the result reported by Empey (1958) & Iyer (1969) who found about 90% reduction in the bacterial load during deep freezing. This result also comply with Castell (1973) who stated that freezing reduces bacterial count on shrimp from 80-99% or more, whereas the core temp. was –180C. Reduction in bacterial load during freezing was due to the restricted moisture content because according to Polezer and Reid (1958), microorganisms require moisture for normal growth. The total bacterial count in frozen product A (traditional block frozen) exceeded the standard limit, whereas the bacterial count in frozen product B, C, D & E fell within the limit of ICMSF and Bangladesh standard (Fig 1).

Coliform organisms and Faecal Coliforms are primarily used to indicate some degree of potentiality hazardous contamination based on the assumption that the natural habitat of the family (Enterobacteriaceae) to which this bacteria belong, is the faeces of man and other animals indicating faecal contamination. Presence of Faecal Coliform (98% E. coli) in a food implies the possibility of finding one or more of a wide diversity of enteric pathogens which may also have gained access to the food and hence introduce human health hazards. There is evidence to show that lagoon and inshore waters carry faecal coliform. Levels of Total Coliforms and Faecal Coliforms (98% E. coli) in exportable raw frozen shrimp should be less than 100/gm and 10/gm respectively and in cooked frozen shrimps should be 10/gm and <3/gm respectively (ICMSF). In the present study the Total Coliform and Faecal Coliform of received shrimp were 286.7 /gm and 66.7/gm respectively. After process the Total Coliform of frozen product A, B, C, D and E were 111/gm, 37.7 /gm, 25.3 /gm, <3/gm and <3/gm respectively and the Faecal Coliform were 16.3 /gm, 6.7/gm, 6/gm, <3/gm and <3/gm respectively. The Total Coliform and Faecal Coliform in frozen product A (traditional block frozen) exceeded the standard limit, whereas the Coliform count in frozen product B, C, D & E fell within the limit of ICMSF and Bangladesh standard (Fig 2).

Salmonella sp which causes infection such as gastroenteritis and enteric fever in man, is an organism which is for by most importing countries and is expected to be absent from a sample of 25gm during the present study Salmonella was not detected in 25gm samples from any stage of processing. V. cholerae which causes food poisoning in individuals consuming uncooked or lightly cooked seafood, during warm periods of the years especially in cold/temperate climate which points to two characteristics of this organisms halophilism and sensitivity to heat and cold (Johnson and Liston, 1973). Salmonella and Vibrio cholerae were not detected in the present study.

The net profit in net shrimp processing trade was conduct from the costing per kg analysis (Table 4) which was calculated according to the export invoice performance data of the plant. The raw material purchase cost was 9.12 US$/kg. The net profit was calculated by deducting the raw material cost, fixed cost, variable cost and shipping cost (Table 4). The net profit was 7.79 % in case of traditional block frozen Product A and 26.86 %, 33.22 %, 39.58 % & 52.41 % showed the net profit in case of value added IQF Product B,C,D & E respectively (Table 5 & Fig. 3).

The seafood industry of Bangladesh accounts for 6% of export earning. But considering that the industry has yet to exploit its full potential technologically and otherwise, it is certain that with the right cooperation and organizing it will only expand. Possibilities are just unfolding as Bangladesh Shrimp Industry is advancing from basic raw processing to various value-added fields. Export Markets are gradually moving in to more and more ‘Ready to Eat’ processing and packaging. The shrimp sector currently provides two million jobs directly and indirectly. The sector provide another millions jobs within the next five years and account for at least of the country’s exports if handling right. Subsequently, the potential buyers demonstrated the ways of doing the things paying few cents more in per lb. of shrimp. The fact behind this is that in developed world labor wage earning is quite high. So, they are utilizing the cheap labor of the exporting country. It is a duel benefit for Bangladeshi processors. Poverty reduction has emerged as the principal focus of Government socio economic policy in Bangladesh. The Millennium Development Goals (MDG), of which Bangladesh is a sensory, seeks to seek to reduce global poverty by the year 2015. With about half of three caught in the jaws of extreme poverty this is no mean task. The Government has drawn up a poverty reduction strategy paper in order to achieve the MDG and other development objectives and declared that fisheries technology is the fasting growing enterprise within the agriculture sector and is gaining significant momentum in our country. The current value of processed shrimp in Bangladesh is $ 300 million / yr. From the present study it is evident that Bangladesh can earn $ 100 million more by exporting the present volume of export through value addition properly.


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