Shrimp were jaclccd under the producers' and private brand 

 nmues. Cuotomors included retail food chains, vholesalers, and the 

 Fc dorfil f^overnncnt . 



The larj^est freezer-breader, according;; to the Bureau of 

 ]3usiiiGss and Ecotiomic Research of the Univercity of Miani, had some 

 82 separate frozen shrimp items in its inventory in 1955. Since the 

 breaded product is particularly veil suited for household consiunption, 

 more and more of the processors concentrate on small packa;jes ranging 

 from six ounces to three pounds in weight. 



Average cost of raw shrimp and total cost of breading in 

 1952, 1953^ and 195^> in cents per pound of product, as reported by 

 the Federal Trade Comjulssion for three firms, vrere as follows: 



TABLE V - 60. --AVERAGE COST PER POUITO OF 

 FROZEN UNCOOICED BREADED SHRB4P AND SHARE 

 OF TOTAL COST REPRESENTED BY RAU SIIRBIP, 

 THREE PRODUCERS, 1952, 1953 Aim I95U 



Cents per 

 pound of 

 product 



Percent 

 of total 

 cost 



195^ 



Cents per Percent 

 pound of of total 

 product cost 



1953 



Cents per 

 pound of 

 product^ 



Percent 

 of total 

 cost 



195^^ 



Cost of 

 raw shrimp hO.'J 65.: 



k9.S 



68.6 



36.3 



61.5 



Total cost 

 of breaded 

 product 62. k 



100.0 



72.6 



100.0 



59.0 



100.0 



Cost of the breaded product varied in direct pioportion with 

 the cost of raw shrimp vrhich averaged approximately two thirds of the 

 total. Breading, packaging materials, direct labor, and plant overhead 

 were the other elements of cost. 



Table V - 61 compares total costs of product in cents per pound 

 for the three companies for wliich costs were obtained. The spread in 

 costs between the least and the most economical operation was 10 cents 

 in 1952 (duta for two plants available only), almost 21 cents in 1953> 

 and lif.5 cent'.-, in 1954. Plant A's costs exceeded those of the other two 

 operations because of a relatively high allocation of overhead. 



283 



