The document evaluates the use of Citrex in shrimp harvesting at a farm in Guatemala. Normally shrimp harvested at the farm show problems like soft heads and discolored tails/legs. A trial was conducted treating 545 kg of shrimp with 1 cc of Citrex per liter of ice/water during harvesting. Samples of treated and untreated shrimp were then analyzed. The treated shrimp showed improvements - a lighter gray uniform color, clearer shells free of algae or dirt. Microbiological testing found an over 80% reduction in total counts and coliforms in the treated shrimp. The conclusion was that Citrex improved the appearance and reduced microbes in the raw shrimp without affecting taste or texture after cooking.

1. EVALUATION OF CITREX IN SHRIMP HARVESTING

2. GROUP ESTEROMAR : Located in the Guatemala pacific coast . 700 Hectares in 7 Farms. 60 % of is intensive production with an average of 10,000 kgs./ Ha. 40 % is of semi intensive with an average of 3,600 kgs/ Ha. The company owns a larvae Laboratory.

3. Trial done in Jovel farm wherethe had the following problems: Soft head. Red head and tail. Black legs. HISTORY

4. At the moment of harvest all shrimp is tratead in the collection boxes with Sodium Metabisulfite as a preservative at a concentration of 400 ppm. HISTORY

6. Normally a disinfectant is not used at harvest which causes that some lots have high bacterial contaminations when tested in the laboratory. HISTORY

8. Trial was performed in pool 4 with a total harvest of 5,800 kgs. The trial was done in 9.4 % of the harvest (545 kgs). The concentration of CITREX was 1 cc for every liter of the mixture of water and ice. METHODOLOGY :

10. As always all the shrimp ( treated and non treated with CITREX) was treated with 400 ppm of Sodium metabisulfite The control group was all the harvest of shrimp that was not treated with CITREX METHODOLOGY :

13. Samples of both groups were taken to be analyzed in the processing plant considering: organoleptic characteristic of fresh and cooked shrimp Microbiological analysis of fresh and cooked shrimp EVALUATION:

14. RESULTS : RAW PRODUCT COLOR HEAD CONSISTENCY PLEOPODOS CONTROL Diverse grades of gray No variation Normal Red & dirty TREATED WITH CITREX Light gray uniform No variation Normal Clear & no algae

18. RESULTS : COOKED PRODUCT COLOR OLOR CONSISTENCIA SABOR Control A-3 y A-4 Normal Slightly soft Normal Treated with CITREX A-2 very uniform Normal Compact Normal

20. MICROBIOLOGY RESULTS TOTAL COUNTS TOTAL COLIFORM E. coli Salmonella Control 340,000 CFU/g 160 CFU/g Negative Negative Treated with CITREX 23,000 CFU/g 30 CFU/g Negative Negative

21. In the raw product CITREX gives a gray uniform color in the head and tail, clean of algie, and a substantail reduction in the microbiological count (higher than 80 %). In the raw product CITREX causes firmness to the tail and does not affect the taste and flavor of the product. CONCLUSION