Método del índice de calidad (QIM): desarrollo de un esquema sensorial de almacenamiento de hielo para el camarón blanco sin cabeza Litopenaeus vannamei (Boone, 1931).

Abstract

In this work, the sensory evaluation scheme QIM (Quality Index Method) was developed for Pacific white shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei) head off / shell on. Forty-five specimens were selected, which were individually packaged in hermetically sealed polyethylene bags. These were uniformly distributed in 3 isothermal containers, maintained with ice in a balanced 1:1 proportion. Throughout the process, a constant temperature of 0°C was maintained with a maximum variation of ± 1.5°C, with the experiment extending over a period of 15 days. The results obtained allowed scientific determination that the shelf life of headless L. vannamei extends up to five days, after which the specimens are considered unfit for human consump-tion. With a determination coefficient of R2=0,988, this research not only developed a practi-cal table for predicting shrimp storage time and shelf life, but also provided a fundamental technical tool to guarantee the commercial quality and food safety of this important marine species.