ABSTRACT
Physical properties of food products are influenced by preservation methods and packaging materials. Evaluation of textural properties of food during thermal processing in different containers provides useful information to the industry and consumers. Hence, the present study was conducted to assess the extent of textural changes in ready-to-eat (RTE) shrimp 378 processed in different containers. Shrimp kuruma was prepared from Indian white shrimp (Penaeus indicus), packed in conventional 301 × 206 and 401 × 411 aluminum cans and in thin profile retort pouch having threelayer configuration of12.5 μ polyester, 12.5 μ aluminum foil, and 85 μ cast polypropylene of size 16 × 20 cm and 17 × 30 cm. The process time and physical properties of shrimps processed in these containers were evaluated. Processing in 16 × 20 cm and 17 × 30 cm retortable pouch resulted in 35.67 and 56.56% reduction in process time compared to 301 × 206 and 401 × 411 cans, respectively with equal pack weight. Hardness 1 and 2 decreased upon thermal processing in both the containers. However, the extent of texture loss was least in the samples packed and processed in retortable pouches compared to the metal container.
