Effect of Sodium Chloride on the Adsorption of Proteins from Pink Shrimp (Pandalus eous) onto Stainless Steel Surfaces

Cross-contamination of protein deposits to other food products can cause serious issues in food plants, where several products might be processed using the same equipment. The key to preventing cross-contamination of foods is the thorough cleaning of work surfaces. To establish an optimum cleaning process for such equipment, understanding of the adhesion behavior of proteins on food-contact surfaces is important. This work aims to examine the effect of sodium chloride (NaCl) on the adsorption of shrimp proteins onto stainless steel surfaces. The presence of NaCl during extraction slightly increased the ratio of adsorbed total protein, while that of the protein tropomyosin, a major shrimp allergen, decreased. The addition of NaCl to the shrimp protein extract post-extraction had no effect on the ratios of adsorbed total protein and tropomyosin. The addition of NaCl during extraction affected both the protein composition of the extract and the major type of protein adsorbed onto stainless steel surfaces.