Calidad del Camarón
Clasificación
The National Marine Fisheries Service, a division of the Department of Commerce, establishes grading standards for shrimp. The grading standards apply only to shrimp processed in the U.S. In addition to these standards, many companies (particularly those who import shrimp) develop their own criteria. For example, in the case of Mexico and Ocean Garden Products, the grading standards are stricter than those of the U.S.
The NMFS grading standards is a scale that begins with 100 points. As defects are found, points are deducted and the remaining number of points determine the grade of the shrimp. There are four grades:
1) U.S. Grade A |
80-90 |
2) U.S. Grade B |
70-80 |
3) Substandard Shrimp |
0-70 |
4) Ungraded Shrimp |
90-100 |
Imports may be inspected under a voluntary program, but are not entitled to a "grade" by the U.S. Department of Commerce (USDC). The points are assigned on the basis of flavor and odor first, ten physical characteristics, i.e., dehydration, deterioration, broken or damaged shrimp pieces, unusable material (legs, shell pieces, heads, antennae, etc.), uniformity of size and texture.
Frequently, the term "lot inspected" will appear on imported as well as domestic shrimp. This refers to the fact that the shrimp are randomly sampled by lot and not by individual packages of shrimp. Lot sampling is done by USDC inspectors. The determination is that the sample is representative of the quality of the lot as a whole.
The flavor and odor, broken shrimp or pieces and extraneous material will be readily apparent (additional information for this covered under Quality Indicators). What won't be apparent is the net weight and the count. This determines the value of the shrimp. These are two criteria where, if abuses occur, you can rapidly lose money on your most popular seafood item (see chart entitled Net Weights and Counts for information to help you determine the actual cost of the shrimp you are buying).
If the shrimp you are buying is short of the stated net weight, the result can be costly. The weight of the blocks of shrimp can be deceptive because of the glaze. Glazing should be heavy and cover every bit of shrimp to prevent dehydration, freezer burn and broken tails. However, to determine just what you are paying for, thaw a block of shrimp completely in a pan of water.* Place it in a sieve and let it drain for exactly two minutes. Then weigh it. If you have less than the weight labeled on the box, you have already lost money!
*This is not the normally recommended way to thaw shrimp. See Cooking, Thawing and Storing Shrimp fact sheets.
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