Shrimp meal

Shrimp meal can be made from either cull shrimp that are being processed before freezing or from whole shrimp that is not of suitable quality for human consumption. A dried meal similar to fish meal, made from the waste heads and shells of large prawns or shrimps, or from whole small shrimps or crustacea of no human food value.

Its true protein value is only about 50-70% (depending on the proportion of heads to shells in the original material) of the apparent, or 'crude' protein content. This is because much of it derives from an indigestible (nitrogen containing) polysaccharide, chitin.

However, it is an important source of this chitin for shrimp feeds, it is high in choline and it is used for pigmentation as it contains important carotenoids. Both shrimp and fish meals, unless finely ground, give poor stability to aquaculture feeds.

Again, as with fish meals, it is important to know the source of the material and to analyse it. Some meals are nearly all shells, with little value. Waste shrimp heads and shells can, if available fresh or refrigerated, be used as excellent ingredients in moist aquaculture feeds, especially for shrimp.