The modernization of the global shrimp farming industry has had an undesired side effect.
As shrimp are made to grow faster in more intensive, higher-density farming systems, their color is fading.
Because growth rates are higher, the shrimp molt faster and undergo a greater level of stress. In high-density ponds they are also not getting the same amounts of the natural food sources, such as algae, zooplankton and krill, that previously gave them their exuberant red hue when cooked.
The change is "quite significant," especially in lower salinity systems, according to DSM Regional Marketing Manager for Asia Pacific Chiow Yen Liew.
