This work deals with the effect that different cooking methods have on quality of shrimps (Parapenaeus longirostris) during the chilled storage. Vacuum-cooking (sous-vide) and steaming were compared with the traditional cooking process in boiling water. The effect of prior treatment with several melanosis-inhibiting agents (with a commercial sulphite- or 4-hexylresorcinol-based formula) was also tested. Neither the melanosis-inhibiting blends nor the cooking methods used significantly affected the water-holding capacity, firmness or moisture content of the cooked shrimps. Spraying with a 4-hexylresorcinol-based formula was effective in preventing microbial growth during storage. Vacuum-cooking was also shown to be the most effective way of preventing microbial growth although the TVB-N content of cooked shrimps increased significantly. By discriminant analysis, a combination of prior spraying with 4-hexylresorcinol-based formula followed by vacuum-cooking, proved to be the best method for obtaining shrimps with a very good appearance and high microbial quality. The foregoing may be very important for the cooking industries. © 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

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