An Investigation into the Quality Improvement of Myanmar Ngapi

Shrimp Paste (Ngapi) is an important source of low cost dietary protein. Ngapi means “pressed fish” named by its traditional processing technique. It can be classified into two groups: nga-ngapi (from fish) and hmyin or seinsa ngapi (from shrimp). Shrimp paste or shrimp sauce, is a common ingredient used in cuisine of Southeast Asia and Southern China. Shrimp paste can be found in a lot of meal in Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia and Philippines. It is often an ingredient in dipping sauce for fish or vegetables. Its color range from brownish pink to dark brown. In Myanmar, the manufacture of shrimp paste is seasonal. During the storage, they considerably deteriorate depending on the storage condition and of types. Lower deterioration of amino acid in shrimp paste is required from the aspect of quality products. In this research, four types of storage materials such as earthen jar, plastic container, plastic bag and glass bottle were used. Types of shrimp paste (paste form, powder form and tablet form) and containers for storage (glass, plastic and glazed earthen pot) were influencing factors to assess the quality of shrimp paste products. Shrimp paste powder and tablets were prepared and stored in different containers. The qualitative analysis of these samples and commercial samples of Thai and Malaysia were carried out. High performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) was used for the quantitative determination of amino acids in stored samples under different storage conditions. The dissolved amino acids in the shrimp paste tablet and powder were comparable to those of Thailand and Malaysia commercial products. The HPLC patterns of the dissolved amino acids in the shrimp paste tablet and powder were similar to those of Thailand and Malaysia commercial products. After being stored for one year, the dehydrated tablet and powder were found to have the highest amount of amino acids whereas sample stored in earthen pot was the lowest. Based on the qualitative aspect, it could be considered that these shrimp paste powder and tablet were relatively safe for human consumption