metal inspection-belt where spoiled, black spotted, and broken shrimp 

 are removed. On the west coast, the shrimp are weighed directly after 

 passing inspection. On the east coast, where the price paid the boat 

 owner varies according to size of shrimp, the shrimp are run through a 

 grading machine before weighing. Most east coast plants have grading 

 machines, whereas the west coast plants generally did not, for the first 

 grading machines were introduced there during the 1955-56 season. The 

 large run of brown shrimp that season was instrumental in inducing a 

 number of west-coast plant managers to investigate grading machines. 

 The managers were encountering a decided bottleneck in their packing 

 departments. 



On the west coast, where most of the pack is layered, grading 

 and packing are usually done as one operation. Women remove the shrimp, 

 either from a belt or from a table, and arrange them in rustless-metal 

 trays holding 5 pounds of shrimp, ko/ Most of the east coast pack is 

 jumbled. The shrimp are placed directly in the carton and frozen with- 

 out regard to arrangement. 



The west-coast pack is mostly solid glaze while the east-coast 

 generally is top glaze only. On the west coast, water is added to the 

 trays before freezing and more water is added when the frozen shrimp 

 are removed from the trays and placed in cartons. East-coast shrimp are 

 usually frozen in the carton without added water. On removal from the 

 freezer, the carton tops are opened, water added, the tops closed, and 

 the cartons stored upside down in the holding rooms where the glaze 

 forms. 



The frozen shrimp are packed in 50-pound master cartons for 

 shipping. Here again the east and west coast practices differ. East- 

 coast shrdjmp are carried to the United States (Brownsville, Texas, 

 usually) by boat, and as a consequence the master cartons, in addition 

 to being sealed by staples or glue or both, are bound by a metal strap. 

 Generally only one strap is used. VJith the exception of an occasional 

 shipment from Salina Cruz, which goes by water, all west-coast frozen 

 shrimp are transported to the United States by rail or by truck. For 

 overland shipment, strapping is not used on the cartons. 



On both coasts some of the pack is put up in 10- and 12-ounce 

 retail cartons. All of these are unglazed but overvnr"apped. At least 

 one plant on the west coast packs the 5-pound institutional carton 

 unglazed and overwrapped. 



Uo/ On the west coast 3lA0 shrimp and larger are layer-packed. 

 SErimp I4I/50 and smaller are packed upper layer only. 



110 



