Strange taste in frozen shrimps: Any idea what it might be?

John Long said:

I noticed, at an alarming frequency, that frozen shrimps from the local
grocery store and the warehouse club where I shop have a strange taste.

Actually the "strange taste" is a combination of taste and smell. The
taste is hard to describe. It's mildly bitter(?), like an aftertaste, of
some kind of chemical.

I've noticed that, too, but only frozen cooked shrimp. I won't buy
it any more, no matter what the price. I haven't had that problem
with any frozen raw shrimp; have you?

Serene

Serene-y the Meanie said:

John Long said:

I noticed, at an alarming frequency, that frozen shrimps from the
local grocery store and the warehouse club where I shop have a strange
taste.

Actually the "strange taste" is a combination of taste and smell. The
taste is hard to describe. It's mildly bitter(?), like an aftertaste,
of some kind of chemical.

I've noticed that, too, but only frozen cooked shrimp. I won't buy it
any more, no matter what the price. I haven't had that problem with any
frozen raw shrimp; have you?

You may be right. The problem shrimps seem to be all frozen cooked
shrimps. We don't get frozen raw shrimps often, but I don't recall
having the same problem with (frozen) raw shrimps.

Since you seem to have experienced the same anything, anything you would
add to or change in my description to help others understand what I'm
trying to get across?

John Long said:

Since you seem to have experienced the same anything, ...

I meant to say "same problem".

John Long said:

Serene-y the Meanie said:

John Long said:

I noticed, at an alarming frequency, that frozen shrimps from the
local grocery store and the warehouse club where I shop have a
strange taste.

Actually the "strange taste" is a combination of taste and smell. The
taste is hard to describe. It's mildly bitter(?), like an aftertaste,
of some kind of chemical.

I've noticed that, too, but only frozen cooked shrimp. I won't buy it
any more, no matter what the price. I haven't had that problem with
any frozen raw shrimp; have you?

You may be right. The problem shrimps seem to be all frozen cooked
shrimps. We don't get frozen raw shrimps often, but I don't recall
having the same problem with (frozen) raw shrimps.

Since you seem to have experienced the same anything, anything you would
add to or change in my description to help others understand what I'm
trying to get across?

I've described it roughly the same way -- "chemically" is how I've
said it, but no one else seems to notice it. I was glad to see your
post, to tell the truth. It's possible that you and I (and whoever
else notices it) are tasting something that's unnoticeable to other
people.

Serene

Serene-y the Meanie said:

I've noticed that, too, but only frozen cooked shrimp. I won't buy
it any more, no matter what the price. I haven't had that problem
with any frozen raw shrimp; have you?

Every time I eat pre-cooked shrimp, I get an allergic reaction
that takes me months to desensitize myself again. Then I can eat
raw shrimp again (cooked at home). The worst culprit are those
small "salad shrimps" (always precooked), but I noticed even the
CostCo pre-cooked 30ct shrimp also do it to me.

Possibly related. There is something different int he processing
of pre-cooked shrimp.

BTW: I noticed Walmart is adulterating their shrimp now. Brined
with phosphates to plump them up. Incredible how low they'll go.

-sw

John Long said:

I'm suspecting contamination in the waters where the shrimps were
caught but don't know how to confirm my suspicion.

Almost all shrimp these days is not "caught".
They are raised in ponds, mostly in Central
America and Southeast Asia.

I haven't eaten shrimp in years, even though
they are one of my favorite foods. If I ever
see wild-caught Gulf shrimp for sale, I'll
buy them. But I won't eat the ones raised
in ponds.

Mark Thorson said:

Almost all shrimp these days is not "caught".
They are raised in ponds, mostly in Central
America and Southeast Asia.

I haven't eaten shrimp in years, even though
they are one of my favorite foods. If I ever
see wild-caught Gulf shrimp for sale, I'll
buy them. But I won't eat the ones raised
in ponds.

Is there a problem with shrimps raised in ponds?

John Long said:

some kind of chemical. I can't associate it with the taste of any kind
of normal food.

It might be over use of antibiotics. The shrimp farming industry is a
nighmare and they so over crowd the ponds huge amounts of antibiotics
must be administered to prevent fatal disease outbreaks. I've
pretty much given up buying/eating shrimp.

nb

"John Long" <[email hidden]> wrote

Quoted message said:

You may be right. The problem shrimps seem to be all frozen cooked
shrimps. We don't get frozen raw shrimps often, but I don't recall having
the same problem with (frozen) raw shrimps.

Shrimp are so easy to cook, I wouldn't buy them already cooked.
My next trick will be to find them frozen without the
sodium whateverphosphate. I'm hoping Costco shrimp will fit
the bill.

nancy

John Long said:

Is there a problem with shrimps raised in ponds?

My main objection is the garbage which is fed to
these shrimp. Now that it's illegal to feed
downer cattle to ruminants (in the U.S.), it ends
up in other (lower forms) of animal feed.

All that meat protein has to go somewhere. It goes
into chicken and fish (including shellfish) feed.

VegA said:

John Long said:

I noticed, at an alarming frequency, that frozen shrimps from the local
grocery store and the warehouse club where I shop have a strange taste.

snip

Weak bleach to whiten the shrimp and keep it looking fresh. Less than
.5% bleach.

Won't hurt you. But ewwwww!

I didn't know that bleach is used to whiten shrimps. Based on my
experience and that reported by Serene-y, the problem seems to be with
frozen cooked shrimps. Is it true that bleach is used only on shrimps to
be sold as frozen pre-cooked shrimps?

The weird taste/smell I was talking about is not suggestive of bleach,
so I'm not sure if bleach (alone) explains the taste/smell. Do you know
where I can find out more about the practice of bleaching shrimps to
improve their appearance?

John Long said:

I noticed, at an alarming frequency, that frozen shrimps from the local
grocery store and the warehouse club where I shop have a strange taste.

snip

Weak bleach to whiten the shrimp and keep it looking fresh. Less than
..5% bleach.

Won't hurt you. But ewwwww!

VegA said:

John Long said:

I noticed, at an alarming frequency, that frozen shrimps from the local
grocery store and the warehouse club where I shop have a strange taste.

snip

Weak bleach to whiten the shrimp and keep it looking fresh. Less than
.5% bleach.

Won't hurt you. But ewwwww!

That's *it*. It tastes like *bleach*. THANK you.

Serene

Serene-y the Meanie said:

VegA said:

John Long said:

I noticed, at an alarming frequency, that frozen shrimps from the
local grocery store and the warehouse club where I shop have a
strange taste. snip

Weak bleach to whiten the shrimp and keep it looking fresh. Less than
.5% bleach.

Won't hurt you. But ewwwww!

That's *it*. It tastes like *bleach*. THANK you.

Serene

I agree. When I read that post I was thinking, yes, it's bleach. That's
it!

kili

snip
Do you know

Quoted message said:

where I can find out more about the practice of bleaching shrimps to
improve their appearance?

snip

Down towards the bottom of this page:

http://starbulletin.com/96/10/16/features/story1.html

A entire [censored] load about sea food. Mentions inspecting from bleaching
agents:

http://starbulletin.com/96/10/16/features/story1.html

See:

http://en.mimi.hu/aquarium/shrimp.html

A section says this: With frozen shrimp make sure you smell it, Shrimp
is often rinsed in Bleach to kill any bacteria before it is frozen and
this could prove deadly to your puffer. Rinse the shrimp until you no
longer smell the bleach, before feeding it.
Full article >>>

Go to Google and search on :bleaching frozen shrimp

Hope this helps.

Serene-y the Meanie said:

VegA said:

John Long said:

I noticed, at an alarming frequency, that frozen shrimps from the local
grocery store and the warehouse club where I shop have a strange taste.

snip

Weak bleach to whiten the shrimp and keep it looking fresh. Less than
.5% bleach.

Won't hurt you. But ewwwww!

That's *it*. It tastes like *bleach*. THANK you.

Serene

NP. Like I said, won't kill you. Smells/tastes like a doctors
office!

LOL

kilikini said:

Serene-y the Meanie said:

VegA said:

On Wed, 25 Apr 2007 16:45:49 GMT, John Long
<[email hidden]> wrote:

> I noticed, at an alarming frequency, that frozen shrimps from the
> local grocery store and the warehouse club where I shop have a
> strange taste. snip

Weak bleach to whiten the shrimp and keep it looking fresh. Less than
.5% bleach.

Won't hurt you. But ewwwww!

That's *it*. It tastes like *bleach*. THANK you.

Serene

I agree. When I read that post I was thinking, yes, it's bleach. That's
it!

kili

Best time to eat that kinda shrip would be after having your teeth
bleached at the dentist!

LOL

Mark Thorson said:

John Long said:

Is there a problem with shrimps raised in ponds?

My main objection is the garbage which is fed to
these shrimp. Now that it's illegal to feed
downer cattle to ruminants (in the U.S.), it ends
up in other (lower forms) of animal feed.

All that meat protein has to go somewhere. It goes
into chicken and fish (including shellfish) feed.

Can you provide any citations from publications to support your
statements that downer cattle are used in chicken and fish feed? I'm
very curious about this news. Thanks.

Sky

Skyhooks said:

Can you provide any citations from publications to support your
statements that downer cattle are used in chicken and fish feed?
I'm very curious about this news. Thanks.

Quoting from:
http://www.fda.gov/ohrms/dockets/98fr/02n-0273-bkg0001-77-Tab-01-EA.pdf

"Second, dead and downer cattle and non-ambulatory
disabled cattle (defined as cattle that are unable
to rise from a recumbent position) are processed
by the rendering and pet food industries after the
animals have died, been killed by the owner, or
condemned at slaughter establishments."

"Presently, carcasses of non-ambulatory disabled
cattle and the inedible slaughter products from
animals can be rendered for non-ruminant animal
feeds."

"Renderers obtain non-ambulatory disabled cattle
and dead stock from large and small farmers and
ranchers, dairy farms, and feedlots. Detailed
estimates of farm mortalities and materials
rendered is provided by ERG (2005a) and Informa
(2004) (see Appendix). Informa estimates that
approximately 35.1 percent of cattle mortalities
and downers are rendered (41.9 percent rendered
by volume). ERG (see table, below) estimates
that approximately 17 percent of dead downer
and antemortem cattle are rendered."

With regard to chicken feed:

http://www.commondreams.org/headlines05/0618-02.htm
http://www.berkeley.edu/news/media/releases/2004/01/26_moo.shtml

Much harder to find anything about fish feed.
But if you go here:

http://www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/enforce/2003/ENF00796.html

And search in the page for "BSE", you'll see that
a manufacturer of fish feed was forced by the FDA
to recall its product because it lacked the BSE
warning on the label. It would not have needed
this warning unless it contained "specified risk
materials", i.e. stuff which is prohibited in
ruminant feed because it may contain the infectious
agent for BSE.