Impact of different drying processes on the lipid deterioration and color characteristics of Penaeus vannamei

Abstract BACKGROUND Fresh shrimp ( Penaeus vannamei ) deteriorates easily and the drying process is an important processing method for prolonging the shelf life of shrimp. The traditional drying method is hot‐air‐drying (HD), which can cause some problems such as nutrient loss, discoloration and lipid oxidation. In recent years, freeze‐drying (FD) has been popular for removing moisture from food at lower temperatures, maintaining the structure of raw materials, and improving storage stability of products. In the present study, the effects of HD and FD on lipid and color of P. vannamei and the mechanisms involved were investigated. RESULTS FD caused less lipid oxidation compared to HD; consequently, FD‐processed shrimps had lower levels of primary and secondary oxidation products, as well as acid value, and higher contents of triacylglycerol, phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylethanolamine, eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid compared to HD‐processed samples. Lipase and lipoxygenase played a role in the oxidation and hydrolysis of lipids during drying process. FD‐processed shrimps had lower yellowness value and chromatic aberrations but a higher whiteness value compared to HD‐processed samples. Correlation analysis showed that lipid oxidation, astaxanthin degradation and the Maillard reaction contributed to the changes of color. Principal component analysis indicated that FD caused less deterioration in quality compared to HD. CONCLUSION In the present study, FD is recommended for preserving shrimp color and lipid nutrition in terms of lipid oxidation control. © 2020 Society of Chemical Industry