Standardization of process parameters for ready-to-eat shrimp curry in tin-free steel cans

Polymer-coated tin-free steel cans were evaluated for their suitability for canning and storage of ready-to-eat fish products. The cans were found to withstand the thermal processing conditions and suitable for food contact application. The overlap was 63%, which was well above the prescribed limit of 45%. Blanched shrimps were used for preparing three different styles of shrimp curry from which one was selected based on sensory evaluation. Shrimp curry prepared according to the standard recipe was processed to three different F₀values of 6, 7 and 8 at 121C in polymer-coated tin-free steel cans. The thermal history during heating and cooling was collected using a data recorder. Raw, blanched and processed shrimp was subjected to analysis of color, texture and shear force by using instrumental methods. Analysis of the Commission Internationale d' Eclirage L*, a*and b*color values showed that the duration of exposure to heat treatment influenced the color parameters: the lightness (L*) and yellowness (b*) decreased, and the redness (a*) increased with increase in heating time. Upon blanching, the instrumental texture and shear values increased and then reduced on thermal processing with the increase in the duration of exposure. Shrimp curry processed at different F₀values was subjected to sensory evaluation and samples processed at F₀7 were judged superior with regard to various sensory attributes evaluated. Based on the manual and instrumental sensory evaluation, the optimum process parameters for the ready-to-serve shrimp curry were standardized. The global demand for seafoods is increasing because of their high nutritive value and health benefits. Nowadays people prefer ready-to-serve products from fish and shellfish which can be stored for longer periods without refrigeration and preservatives. Thermally processed products meet these requirements. Conventional containers for canned products such as tin and aluminum have several disadvantages. Tin-free steel cans (TFS) have many advantages, such as easy-open ends, good coating performance, universal lacquer and aesthetic appearance. Tin-free steel cans were also found to be suitable for processing many varieties of fish products. This article describes the standardization of process parameters for the preparation of ready-to-serve shrimp curry in tin-free steel cans, which were microbiologically safe and acceptable with regard to various quality attributes. The standardized process can be modified and adopted by the fish processing industry to market similar ready-to-serve products in both domestic and export markets.