Extração de pigmentos carotenóides da carapaça do camarão e sua utilização em um produto derivado de pescado

Abstract

Waste material in the fish industry including the shells from the crustacean, constitute a very high percentage. These shells are rich in carotenoids pigments, which may have a high pigmentation value when used in foods. It is common in some countries the use of the extracted pigments in feeds.The aim of this experiment was to study the process of carotenoids extraction and to verify its pigmenting potential in a minced fish food product. The solvent extraction technique was used after testing other extraction procedures. Extracted pigments were characterized by spectrophotometry. Pigments were then included in the fish formulation. Fish products were packaged with and without vacuum and storage in the dark at –20ºC for 60 days. The color of the products was measured every 15 days with the CIE system which determines parameters L*, a* and b*. The spectrophotometry study showed products of degradation of astaxanthin in the shell extract. The luminosity (L*) of the color in products packaged under vacuum was lower (p<0.05) with 15 and 45 days of storage than in those stored without vacuum. Vacuum packaged products showed that with 0 days of storage the yellowness component (b*) was higher (p<0.05) in vacuum packaged products than in those stored without vacuum. The reverse occurring with 45 days of storage. After 60 days frozen storage vacuum packaging did not affect the color characteristics of the fish product.