STANDARDS USAGE OF PACKING AND COUNTS FOR SHRIMP
- Packing: for shrimp is very wide and it depends on the
final destination and the end user aim, if we consider
the packing for retail market, then will come form small
quantity arranged (finger pack in 10, 12 pieces of
shrimp such as Japan retail markets) to big bulk pack.
But in wholesale market there are some limited varieties
of packing for Japan and European countries, standard
packing are 2-kilo pack, while in U.S. Market popular
packing is 5 pound.
- COUNTS: Shrimp are variably graded in numbers per
pound or per kilo and there is substantial
standardization in the size grades used throughout the
world. Counts expressed per pound or in kilogram
predominate in trade.
Table.1 (bellow) shows counts per kilo and per pound
that are customarily used for both headless and peeled
shrimp. These ranges are the ones normally used in
international trade. Counts expressed per pound are the
most used. Most sales of shell-on shrimp are U- 10
(under-10 per pound) through 100 /120 per pound.
Shell-on smaller than 100/120 is rare and very unusual.
Peeled shrimp may be graded as finished count, which
means you get the number it says on the label, or as
“peeled-from” count, where the label shows the size of
shell-on tail from which the shrimp was peeled. The
actual count in this case is about one or two sizes
smaller No indication is usually given as to which of
these definitions you may be getting.
Table.1 SIZE CLASSIFICATION RANGES
FOR HEAD LESS AND HEAD ON AND FOR PEELED SHRIMP
|
Number of
shrimp per pound (used for Head less shrimp)
|
Number of
shrimp per kilogram (used for Head on shrimp)
|
Number of
shrimp per kilogram (used for Peeled shrimp)
|
|
U - 10
|
U - 10
|
U- 21
|
|
10—15
|
U – 12
|
22—33
|
|
16—20
|
U – 15
|
34—44
|
|
21—25
|
10 – 20
|
45—55
|
|
26—30
|
20- 30
|
56—66
|
|
31—35
|
30 – 40
|
67—77
|
|
36—40
|
40 – 50
|
78—88
|
|
41 —50
|
40 – 60
|
89— 110
|
|
51—60
|
50 – 60
|
111 — 132
|
|
61 —70
|
60 – 70
|
133— 154
|
|
71 —80
|
60 – 80
|
155—176
|
|
81 —90
|
70 – 90
|
177—198
|
|
91 — 100
|
80 – 100
|
199 —220
|
|
100— 130
|
70 – 110
|
221 —286
|
|
130—200
|
100- 120
|
287—440
|
|
200—300
|
120 –150
|
441 — 680
|
|
MIXED
|
150 – UP
|
661 — 1100
|
|
BROKEN
|
BROKEN
|
1100 up
|
Variation of counts
Counts should be consistent, so that the shrimp in a
given pack have to be similarly sized. For U.S.A. Grade
Standards the count of shell-on shrimp is determined by
dividing the number of shrimp in the package by the net
weight of the package in pounds. Therefore a 5-pound
pack of 11/15 count shrimp must contain 55 to 75 shrimp.
Many processors and large users have additional
requirements relating the size of the largest and
smallest shrimp in a pack, in order to keep the shrimp
as consistently sized as possible. The Codex standard
for size grading suggests similar size grades and offers
an alternative method, expressing the average count as a
single figure rather than as a range. If this method is
used, the largest and smallest shrimp in the pack
should each be within ten percent of the size of the
average stated on the label.
In some countries, even in the same country, but trough
some processors you will find that sizes are sometimes
described in particular words instead of figures. Table.
2 (below). This practice frequently confuses buyers, and
should be avoided, because everyone has his own idea of
what a ”jumbo” should be, and that idea may not be the
same as the next person’s, especially if he lives in
another country. Numerical counts are clearly defined
and can also be checked and confirmed. Some of
particular words that being used as the size are shown
in Figure 7 these words used to be codified in the U.S.
regulatory code. Specific approval of these descriptions
has been dropped, but their use is still permitted.
Counts of broken shrimp are not defined in any standard
way. Some packers may offer a 16/20 broken to indicate
that the box contains shrimp that would have been 16/20
count if whole. Others will quote a wider range such as
20/30 count, indicating that actual number of pieces per
pound. It is most common to grade broken. Although you
will find that some processors are offering their
product in more vide range, such as large, Medium and
small, winch it has own interpretation by the packer.
Table.2 SIZE DESCRIPTIONS BY WORD INSTEAD OF NUMBER
|
SIZE Name
|
COUNT PER LB
|
MINIMUM PER POUND
|
MAXIMUM PER POUND
|
|
Extra Colossal
|
Under 10
|
----
|
9.9
|
|
Colossal
|
10/15
|
9.9
|
15.0
|
|
Extra jumbo
|
16/20
|
15.0
|
20.0
|
|
Jumbo
|
21/25
|
20.0
|
25.0
|
|
Extra large
|
26/30
|
25.0
|
30.0
|
|
Large
|
31/35
|
30.0
|
35.0
|
|
Medium large
|
36/42
|
35.0
|
42.0
|
|
Medium
|
43/50
|
42.0
|
50.0
|
|
Small
|
51/60
|
50.0
|
60.0
|
|
Extra small
|
61/70
|
60.0
|
70.0
|
|
Tiny
|
Over 70
|
70.0
|
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|
 |
