In dishes from all over the world, shrimp is loved. It can be melted into a spicy scampi, draped over a red-stained cocktail glass for shrimp cocktail, or topped on top of a bowl of cioppino. There are many ways to make and eat this famous dish from around the world, and there are many ways to add flavor to it. However, all of them taste best, are safest, and are served best with fresh shrimp.
If your shrimp is bad, it can do a lot more than just make you sick, so it’s best for everyone to stay away from even slightly spoiled shrimp. There are many bacteria and viruses in shrimp bodies that can make people sick if they are not properly cleaned and/or cooked. There is also a chance that shrimp have parasites that put people at risk for getting a bacterial infection.
Foodborne illnesses related to shellfish can make you throw up, feel sick, and have stomach cramps. If your symptoms are severe, you need to see a doctor right away. To fight shrimp food poisoning, doctors say to stay hydrated and stay away from drugs that make you vomit and drugs that slow down your movements, as they can make the situation worse. But there are ways to tell if your shrimp has gone bad before you eat it and get sick.
Shrimp is one of those versatile ingredients that can be used in everything from appetizers to main courses. It’s delicious, easy to cook, and nutritious. However, like any type of seafood, shrimp is highly perishable and knowing how to tell if it has gone bad is critical to avoid getting sick from eating spoiled shrimp.
In this comprehensive guide, we’ll cover everything you need to know about determining when shrimp is no longer safe to eat.
How to Tell if Raw Shrimp is Bad
Raw, uncooked shrimp naturally has a slightly translucent, greyish appearance. Here are some telltale signs that raw shrimp has gone bad:
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Slimy texture – Fresh raw shrimp should feel firm If the shrimp feels mushy or slimy, it is a sign of spoilage.
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Discoloration – The flesh should look uniform in color Stay away from shrimp with black/dark spots or yellowing on the flesh
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Unpleasant smell – Raw shrimp has a mild, briny smell. If you detect a strong fishy, ammonia-like odor, the shrimp is bad.
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Softness – Press the shrimp with your finger. It should feel firm and springy. Soft, mushy shrimp mean it’s time to discard.
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Mold – Mold on either the shrimp or the packaging is a definite sign of spoilage.
If you notice any of these on your raw shrimp, it’s best to play it safe and throw it out.
How to Tell if Cooked Shrimp is Bad
Cooked shrimp can go bad faster than raw since the cooking process starts the breakdown of tissues. Here’s what to look for:
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Texture – Cooked shrimp will be firmer than raw but should still have some bounce. If it’s mushy, rubbery or slimy, toss it.
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Odor – While cooked shrimp has a briny aroma, any sour, rancid or ammonia-like smell means it has gone off.
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Discoloration – Look for gray, dull or black areas on the surface of the flesh. Fresh cooked shrimp is translucent pink.
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Mold – Any fuzzy growth or sliminess on cooked shrimp is a big no-no.
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** Expiration date** – Cooked shrimp tastes best within 3-4 days of cooking. After that, it’s safer to throw it out.
Trust your senses. If it looks or smells bad, it most likely is! Don’t risk eating spoiled shrimp.
How to Tell if Frozen Shrimp is Bad
Frozen shrimp can have a long shelf life, up to 6-12 months, when properly stored at 0°F. Here are some signs frozen shrimp is past its prime:
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Odor – Any odor when the frozen shrimp is sealed is a red flag. Fresh frozen shrimp has no scent.
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Ice crystals – Large ice crystals or frost inside the packaging indicates it has been thawed and refrozen. This affects quality.
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Freezer burn – Dry, crunchy parts on the shrimp signify freezer burn from overly long storage.
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Texture – Discoloration or mushiness signals the shrimp underwent some deterioration during freezing.
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** Expiration date** – If frozen longer than 3-6 months, it’s best not to risk eating it.
Tip: Thaw frozen shrimp sealed in a bowl of cold water. Then give it a sniff test. Any unpleasant odor once thawed means do not eat!
What Happens If You Eat Bad Shrimp?
Eating spoiled, contaminated shrimp can cause foodborne illness. The most common shrimp-related illness is called shrimp poisoning or shellfish poisoning. Symptoms include:
- Nausea, vomiting, diarrhea
- Abdominal pain and cramping
- Headache
- Fever
- Chills
- Tingling or numbness in face/extremities
In severe cases, shellfish poisoning can cause neurological issues from bacteria that affect the nervous system. Symptoms normally appear within 4-48 hours after ingesting bad shrimp. Seek medical care if symptoms are serious or persist beyond 48 hours.
How to Store Shrimp Properly
Proper storage is key to preserving freshness and shelf life:
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Raw shrimp – Use within 1-2 days. Store in a container/bag with ice or icy water to keep at 32-40°F. Do not wash before storing.
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Cooked shrimp – Refrigerate in a sealed container within 2 hours of cooking. Use within 3-4 days.
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Frozen shrimp – Freeze raw, unshelled shrimp up to 3 months. Cooked shrimp keeps 2-3 months frozen.
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Thawing – Thaw frozen shrimp overnight in the fridge. You can also submerge sealed package in cold water until thawed.
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Prep and handling – Thaw only what you need. Wash hands before and after handling raw shrimp. Avoid cross-contamination.
Following safe storage and handling practices helps prevent premature spoilage.
Tips for Detecting Fresh vs. Bad Shrimp
Here are some final tips for determining freshness:
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Look – Fresh shrimp is translucent gray with a pearlescent sheen. Discoloration, dark spots, yellowing are bad signs.
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Smell – Fresh has a mild sea smell. Rancid, ammonia or fishy odor screams discard.
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Feel – Raw and cooked shrimp should feel firm. mushy means spoilage.
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Listen – When you peel a fresh shrimp, it makes a slight crackling sound. Limp peels mean it’s off.
Your senses are the best tools for determining freshness with shrimp. If in doubt, throw it out to avoid food poisoning. Trust your eyes, nose and fingers to make the right call.
Shrimp is delicious but extremely perishable. Knowing what signs to look for and following proper storage methods will ensure you only eat the freshest, tastiest shrimp dishes. Use this guide to become a pro at identifying bad shrimp and keeping your shrimp as fresh as possible. Being able to detect when shrimp has gone off means you’ll never have to deal with the unpleasant consequences of eating spoiled seafood.
The shelf life of shrimp
Like many foods, shrimp doesnt stay good forever. Whether you put the shellfish in the fridge or the freezer will determine how long it will last. To keep bacteria away, all raw fish and shellfish should be kept in the fridge at or below 40 F and eaten within one to two days of being bought. Once the shrimp is cooked, it can be stored in the fridge for three to four days before it needs to be thrown away.
The shrimp can stay frozen for a long time, but after about three months, it will lose its flavor and quality. This means that the freezer is the best place to store food for a long time. To make it easier to get rid of food from the freezer, we suggest writing the date it was frozen on the shrimp package.
There is no way around it: if your shrimp has been out at room temperature for more than two hours, you have to throw it away. If the temperatures are above 90 F, this cutoff changes to an hour.
How do you know if shrimp is bad?
How do you know if shrimp is bad?
Another way to tell if your shrimp is bad is by its smell. Fresh seafood should just have a salty ocean water scent. If you catch a whiff of something rotten and fishy, it’s a warning that you shouldn’t ignore. Lastly, if your shrimp feels soft and mushy instead of firm and tender, it might have seen better days.
What are the side effects of eating shrimp?
Shrimp allergy can be identified from signs and symptoms that appear after consuming shrimp or smelling it, such as itching, the appearance of red plaques on the skin, swelling in the face, especially in the eyes and mouth, and in the throat creating the feeling of a lump in the throat.
How do you know if a shrimp is spoiled?
Pay close attention to its smell, color, and texture. Strong ammonia or sour odor, faded or discolored spots, and a slimy or mushy texture are all clear indicators of spoiled shrimp. Always remember, when in doubt, it’s best to throw it out to ensure food safety.
How do you know if cooked shrimp is safe to eat?
If the shells look like they are no longer attached to the body or if they have black spots on them they aren’t safe to eat. Cooked shrimp will be an opaque whitish color with some pink and red as well. If it looks faded in color, grey, or moldy at all then toss it out.