PRAWN PROCESSING

CONTENTS

1. Introduction

2. Prawn as food

3. Processing

4.Field study

5. Storing

6. Exportation

Samanta Chandra Sekhar (Autonomous) College,Puri 0

 PRAWN PROCESSING

INTRODUCTION:
Prawn and shrimps are important types of sea food that is consumed
worldwide. Although they belong to different sub orders of decapoda
they are very similar in appearance and the terms are often used
interchangeably in commercial farming and fisheries. A distinction is
drawn in recent aquaculture literature, which increasingly uses the
term “prawn” only for the freshwater forms of palaemonids and
‘shrimps” for the marine panaeids.

The global annual production of fresh water

prawns in 2003 was about 280,000 tons, of which China produced
some 180,000 tons, followed by India and Thailand with some 35,000
each . The prawn production in India accounts for about 15% of the
total world production of prawns and shrimps. For marine prawns, the
percentage of Indian production to the world production is about
20%. The major commercial prawn species reared in India are Giant
river prawns Macrobrachium rosenbergii of the family Palaemonidae.

Samanta Chandra Sekhar (Autonomous) College,Puri 1

 PRAWN PROCESSING

PRAWN AS FOOD:
Prawns have healthy macronutrient profile. They are high in
protein,low in carbohydrates and contain very little fat. For example,a
3-ounce serving has about 17 grams of protein and less than 1 gram of
both carbohydrates and fat. including prawns in your diet provides
the types of nutrients you need to promote muscle and reduce fat .

A 2017 report in Fishery technology showed that prawns contain an

abudance magnesium, potassium, phosphorus, calcium and copper.
They also deliver many healthy vitamins as well. They are a great
source of vitamin A,D,E as well as vitamin B1,B2,B3. Interestingly,
irradiating crustaceans to remove bacteria increases their vitamin A
and E content. The International Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic
Studies recommended prawns as a healthy food choice due to their
omega-3 fatty acid content.

Samanta Chandra Sekhar (Autonomous) College,Puri 2

 PRAWN PROCESSING

Nutritional value for 100g

Energy 297KJ(71 Kcal)
carbohydrates 0.91g
fat 1.01 g
saturated 0.115g
unsaturated 0.080g
protein 13.61g
vitamins Quantity
Vitamin A 180UI
Vitamin D 2UI
Cholesterol 0.0013g
minerals 2.137g
water 83.01mg

Samanta Chandra Sekhar (Autonomous) College,Puri 3

 PRAWN PROCESSING

PROCESSING;
To sell deheaded, peeled or value added prawns one must have
processing facilities and follow procedures that meet local health
and\or FDA standards. If the products are to be solddirectly to the
consumer,an approved facility is needed but a HACCP plan is not
required. If sold wholesale to the distributor, a restaurant, or via
interstate commerce or foreign exportation, the processing facility
must comply with a food safety plan prepared according to the FDA
Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) Program or
FSSAI. Unaltered prawns, such as those sold live or whole-o-ice, are
not covered by HACCP regulations unless they are sold across state
lines.
In India prawn processing is done throughout the state in simple on
farm processing plants with various facilities or by commercial
processors. Processing starts with proper handling of the prawns
caught from the seas or harvested from fishponds as they are
transported to the processing plants. Usually, the newly caught or
harvested prawns are temporarily refrigerated by packing them with
crushed ice in insulated containers. These containers are transported
from the fishpond by trucks or fishing vessel to the processing plant
where processing is carried out in the following stages:

Samanta Chandra Sekhar (Autonomous) College,Puri 4

 PRAWN PROCESSING

1. Washing in clean cold water

2. Classifying according to buyer’s requirements and specifications
either as:
A. Whole-the prawn is left with shell and intact:
B. Headless-head is removed with shell intact, or
C. Peeled-the head and shell are removed
3. Sizing according to internationally accepted sizes ranging from
under 8 pieces per pound to 90 pieces per pound;
4. Weighting the sized prawns according to buyer’s requirements:
5. Rinsing again with clean cold water before positioning the sized
prawns in tin containers;
6. Filling up the containers with clean fresh water:
7. Quick freezing the processed prawns in the water-filled
containers:
8. Removing the frozen blocks from the containers and wrapping
the blocks successively in plastic bags, consumer packs and bulk
packs:
9. Cold storing the fully wrapped prawns at low temperature ready
to export.
To process one metric ton a day, a work force of about 30 persons is
required. Except for the imported freezing equipment, the technology
is available locally.

Samanta Chandra Sekhar (Autonomous) College,Puri 5

 PRAWN PROCESSING

FIELD STUDY:
I went to a Processing Plant named “BIJAYA MARINE PRODUCTS”
,Atharnala ,puri-2 . I am grateful to our teacher Mrs. Bhagyajyoti
Biswal who guides me to prepare this project. I am very much
grateful to the senior manager Mr. Nilakantha Mishra who permitted
me to visit the plant and provided me all sorts of help. I am also
especiallythankful to Mr. Ashok Nayak who accompanied me during the
visit inside the processing plant and also for his valuable instruction
and information regarding the processing of prawns. He also briefed
me regarding the management and maintenance of the plant.

Samanta Chandra Sekhar (Autonomous) College,Puri 6

 PRAWN PROCESSING

Mr. Nayak explained me about the processing of prawns as follows:

The processing of prawn includes mainly 2 steps:
1.Preprocessing
2.Processing
PRE-PROCESSING:
The prawns of both fresh water and marine water are collected
from various sources and are transported to the processing plant
through NON-AC trucks or good carriages. Then it is received by the
workers in the “Receiving Room” and ice was added and then it is
stored in “Chill Room Chute”. Then a particular quantity of the raw
materials (prawns) are taken to be processed. The prawns are then
transferred to “Headless Table”. After the prawns are deheaded they
are then dipped into ‘Sea Plast” for washing.

Samanta Chandra Sekhar (Autonomous) College,Puri 7

 PRAWN PROCESSING

PROCESSING:
Processing of prawn includes transferring them into “Grading
Machines”. There are two grading machines such as;
1. Chell-on Grading Machine (peel-on)
2. PUD Grading Machine (peeled undeveined)
1. Chell-on Grading Machine;
The peeled prawns after washing are then graded with this
machines. This machine includes 4 main parts :
1. First Feeder
2. Second Feeder
3. Roller
4. Delivery

Samanta Chandra Sekhar (Autonomous) College,Puri 8

 PRAWN PROCESSING

2. PUD Grading Machine;

The unpeeled prawns after washing are graded by this machine.
After transferring to the machine the prawns are taken into a
“Water Tank” and then boiled in warm water in “Bubbling Drum”
and goes further for grading. The PUD machine includes 5 main
parts:

1. Water tank
2. Bubbling Drum
3. Feeder
4. Roller
5. Delivery

Samanta Chandra Sekhar (Autonomous) College,Puri 9

 PRAWN PROCESSING

Setting:
After delivery from the grading machines the raw materials then
transferred to “Grading Tables” where the prawns are correct
graded by the workers. Then it is transferred to the “Checking Tables”
to check the grades and then the raw materials are weighted.

The weighted prawns are then setted by the workers in the “PanTrey”
and then ice water was poured to into it. The ice water is dissolved
with 10 ppm chlorine for killing of bacteria on the surface of the
prawns. Then the pan trey was covered with “Male and Female Plate”
and a piece of ‘Polythene’ for easy removal of “Prawn Slabs”. Then the
treys are ready to freeze.

Samanta Chandra Sekhar (Autonomous) College,Puri 10

 PRAWN PROCESSING

FREEZING:
After setting then the plates are kept in the freezer. The visited
processing plants has 4 “Plate Freezers” among which three are
regulated by Feon gas(closed) and one is regulated by Ammonia
gas(opened). The 1st ,2nd,3rd freezer takes 3 hr to freeze the slabs and
the 4th freezer takes 2 hr to freeze.

Samanta Chandra Sekhar (Autonomous) College,Puri 11

 PRAWN PROCESSING

Prawn and their meat should always be cooked prior to freezing. If

prawns are frozen raw, the meat becomes very watery and the yield
is very low. The freezing temperature must be 0 to -5^ c in less than
2 hours.
1. 1st plate freezer (216 no. of slabs)
2. 2nd plate freezer (144 no. of slabs)
3. 3rd plate freezer (140 no. of slabs)
4. 4th plate freezer (288 no. of slabs)

MELTING:
After 2-3 hr of freezing then the pan treys are taken out of the
freezer and the “Male and Female Plate” and the polythene are
removed and the slabs only undergoes “Melting Machine” to remove
excessive ice margins and to give the slabs a perfect shape. Within

Samanta Chandra Sekhar (Autonomous) College,Puri 12

 PRAWN PROCESSING

the machine also grade of slaps are identified and the grade stickers
are sticked to the slabs.
The PUD Grades are:
20\40, 40\60
60\80, 81\20
100\200, 200\300
300\500
The chelon Grades are:
6\8, 8\12 13\15,16\20
21\25,26\30 31\35,31\40
41\50,51\60 61\70,71\90

Samanta Chandra Sekhar (Autonomous) College,Puri 13

 PRAWN PROCESSING

Samanta Chandra Sekhar (Autonomous) College,Puri 14

 PRAWN PROCESSING

PACKAGING:
The prawn slabs that are perfectly shaped and graded are then taken
to packaging cell. In this section the slabs are wrapped with polythene
packets and then packed in a white cartoon box. Each cartoon
contains 8 slabs. The blue graded slabs packs are known as grade 1
(Vannamei)and the white graded slabs are known as grade 2 (sea
white). The Vannamei graded as 41/50 and 31/40 (grade 2) and the
sea white graded as 16/20. The grade 1 slabs packs are sealed with
yellow tapes and the grade 2 packs are sealed with green tapes.

Samanta Chandra Sekhar (Autonomous) College,Puri 15

 PRAWN PROCESSING

STORING:
The packed slabs are then taken to freezer room for storage. The
visited processing plants have 3 freezer rooms. The packed cartoons
are stored in temperature -18oC to -20oC. The packed prawns can be
kept their upto 3 months,

INSPECTION:
During the exportation the expert team checks the quality of the
prawns and check their nutritional value. They check this by injecting
the prawns. If good then the order is cleared for exportation, If not
then further inspection continues.

Samanta Chandra Sekhar (Autonomous) College,Puri 16

 PRAWN PROCESSING

STORAGE:
The quality of frozen prawns depends upon the storage temperature
and the rate of freezing. The deterioration of prawn caused by micro-
organisms ceases at temp. below 14oF. However the enzymatic activity
can continue very slowly at this temp. For long term storage, it is
advisable to use commercial freezers with temp. lower than 4oF,
especially when freezing whole prawns(with the head intact), as
enzymes responsible for protein breakdown are concentrated in the
head.
The rate of freezing determines the size of theice crystals
or slabs. If properly handled and frozen, prawns can be held at
temperature below -4oF or colder for upto 6 months without
noticeable loss of quantity. Prawns that have been properly chilled-
killed, processed, and the tails frozen in water have been stored

Samanta Chandra Sekhar (Autonomous) College,Puri 17

 PRAWN PROCESSING

frozen for more than a year without substantial quality loss.The

product should be clearly labelled and dated so that older product is
used first.

EXPORTATION:
In 1954 the processing and packing technique in the factory was
improved and elaborated. The machinery in the plant was also
modernised by introducing for the first time in India the contact plate
freezer. A flake ice plant supplemented the ice purchased from the
market. From the small beginning of 29,000 lbs. of frozen prawns
exported to U.S.A. In 1953, the exports of Cochin Company rose to a
half million pounds in 1956. The frozen prawns in India is thus largely
popularised and introduced in various countries of Europe, Austrelia,
Thailand, Malessia, thereby contributing in considerable measure to
the foreign exchange earnings of our country.
The Govt. of India realising the great potential
of this industry for earning foreign exchange has now, with a view to
encourage exports, provided a series of incentives towards this end.
Certain items which are indispensable for fishing, processing and
packing, have been allowed to be freely imported by the exporters
depending upon their export performance. The Govt. has also keen to
help the industry overcome their difficulties and have set up a

Samanta Chandra Sekhar (Autonomous) College,Puri 18

 PRAWN PROCESSING

solutory body, the Marine Products Export Promotion Council, to

assist the industry to export more and more.

CONCLUSION:
Fresh water prawns are now produced in almost states within the
southern region. However, many consumers are still mot familiar with
the product.It is essential that prawns be properly handled so that
only high quality products enter the market. In the past, problem with
mushy texture, especially with frozen prawns, have been a concern.
However, wuth proper harvesting and postharvest handling, the
consistent high product quality of the product can be ensured.

Samanta Chandra Sekhar (Autonomous) College,Puri 19

 PRAWN PROCESSING

BIBLIOGRAPHY
BOOKS :
 Economic Zoology
 Shrimp News International
 Wiley Online Books
 Biology and Farming

SPOT: Bijaya Marine Products. Atharanala,PURI

WEBSITES:
 www.google.co.in
 www,Wikipedia.com

NEWSPAPERS & MAGAZINES:

 Business Today
 Business India
 Times of India

Samanta Chandra Sekhar (Autonomous) College,Puri 20