Effects of microwave-infrared combination heating on the quality of Litopenaeus vannamei

Different thermal processing methods have great influence on the quality of Litopenaeus vannamei. In this paper, microwave-infrared combined heating technology was used to treat L. vannamei. The effects of combined heating conditions on the quality of L. vannamei were discussed, in order to lay a theoretical foundation for the development of shrimp products. Firstly, the change of center temperature of shrimp during microwave-infrared heating was clarified, and then the weight loss rate, color, texture and other quality changes of shrimp meat under different heating conditions were discussed. The results showed that at the same microwave power and different infrared temperatures, the weight loss rate of L. vannamei was the highest at 75 °C, and the lowest at 179 °C. Comparing the texture characteristics of the shrimp, the elastic fluctuation range of the shrimp was not large, about 3.0 mm. The chewiness of shrimp was not significantly different under different heating conditions, but positively correlated with its corresponding hardness, cohesiveness and resilience; the hardness, cohesiveness and resilience of shrimp meat changed regularly under different combined heating conditions; in terms of color difference, L^*, a^*, b^* and ΔE were negatively correlated with infrared temperature. These results may lay a foundation for the application of combined heating technology in shrimp processing.