Hey there, fellow seafood lovers! I’ve been cooking shrimp for years, and let me tell you – that black line you see on shrimp has probably made you wonder at least once Today, I’m gonna break down everything you need to know about shrimp poop (yep, we’re really talking about this!).
The Quick Answer
That black line running along your shrimp’s back? Hate to break it to ya, but that’s indeed the shrimp’s digestive tract – AKA its poop chute! It looks like:
- A thin dark/black line along the shrimp’s back
- Has a gritty, sandy texture
- Contains tiny dark specks inside
- Feels soft when raw but firms up after cooking
Let’s Get Into the Nitty Gritty Details
What’s Actually In That Black Line?
Here’s the deal – shrimp are bottom feeders which means they’re munching on all sorts of stuff down there in the ocean
- Plankton
- Tiny worms
- Microscopic animals
- Sand and debris
All this stuff gets processed through their digestive system, creating that characteristic black line we see. It’s basically like a tiny food journal of everything they’ve eaten!
Is It Safe to Eat? (Don’t Panic!)
I know what you’re thinking – “OMG, I’ve been eating shrimp poop?!” But don’t freak out! Here’s the good news:
- It’s totally safe to eat when cooked properly
- Cooking to 145°F kills any harmful bacteria
- Won’t make you sick
- Many people eat it without even realizing
BUT (and it’s a big but), while it won’t harm you, it might affect the taste. Some folks say it adds a bitter, iron-like flavor and sandy grittiness. Not exactly what you want in your shrimp scampi, right?
How to Remove That Poop Line (If You Want To)
Listen if you’re grossed out (totally understandable), here’s my super simple deveining process
- Grab a paring knife
- Make a shallow cut along the shrimp’s back
- Lift out that black line
- Give it a quick rinse under cold water
Pro tip: Do this while the shrimp is still raw! Trust me, it’s way easier than trying to do it after cooking when everything’s all delicate and breaky.
Common Questions I Get About Shrimp Poop
Why’s It Black Though?
It’s from all that digested plankton and algae. When broken down, it creates that blackish-brown waste matter.
What’s With The Gritty Texture?
Those crunchy bits you might feel? That’s from the exoskeletons of the tiny creatures shrimp eat. Fancy, huh?
Does Removing It Make My Shrimp Less Nutritious?
Nah, not really! The poop line is such a tiny part of the whole shrimp that removing it doesn’t impact the overall nutritional value.
My Personal Take
After years of cooking shrimp, here’s what I’ve learned: whether you devein or not is totally up to you! I personally prefer to remove it because I’m a bit of a texture freak, but I’ve definitely eaten plenty of shrimp with the vein intact at restaurants.
Bottom Line
The black line in your shrimp is indeed poop, but it’s not gonna kill ya! While it’s safe to eat when cooked properly, removing it can improve the taste and texture of your shrimp. The choice is yours – just don’t let it stop you from enjoying these delicious little sea creatures!
Quick Tips for Shrimp Prep
- Always devein raw shrimp – it’s easier
- If cooking with shells on, you can still devein
- Rinse well after deveining
- Cook thoroughly no matter what you choose
There ya have it, folks! Everything you never thought you needed to know about shrimp poop. Now go forth and cook some shrimp with confidence, whether you choose to devein or not!
Would you like me to explain any part in more detail? Drop a comment below!
What’s that black line in shrimp?
The dark line running through the backs of shrimp goes by many names—the dorsal tract, back vein, or sand vein, Tori Stivers, MS, a seafood specialist at the University of Georgia Marine Extension and Georgia Sea Grant, tells SELF. The marking is made up of the shellfish’s stomach, midgut, and intestine. Those structures support its digestive process, so yes, that black stuff is waste, she says.
As for what you’re actually seeing there? Shrimp are called bottom feeders for a reason: They munch on foods found in the muddy depths of the ocean, like plankton, worms, microscopic animals, and organic debris such as sand. So that black line is likely a combination of all those things in various stages of digestion, Dave Love, PhD, a senior scientist at the Johns Hopkins Center for a Livable Future, tells SELF.
Can eating shrimp poop make you sick?
Now that we’ve established the dark line is the shrimp’s intestines—okay, yes, its poop—should you worry about eating it? While it may seem a little icky (or a lot), the general consensus is that it doesn’t pose a health risk…provided that you prepare it the right way.
“Eating the shrimp’s digestive tract doesn’t make you sick—as long as you cook it thoroughly,” says Dr. Love. That means steaming, baking, frying, or otherwise preparing it until it reaches 145°F. At this internal temperature, the shrimp will take on a firm texture.
To be clear, that’s not to say you can’t get sick from eating shrimp in general. You certainly can, but the food poisoning risk related to shellfish typically comes from eating it raw or undercooked, says Dr. Love. For instance, just like ground beef, raw shrimp can contain bacteria like E. coli. But if you cook it thoroughly, the heat will kill off the bacteria (as well as other potentially harmful pathogens that may be lurking) before it can wreak havoc with your digestive tract. So you may want to skip raw dishes like sashimi and spring for a cooked one like a curry, stir-fry, garlicky pasta, or zesty taco instead.
In fact, add shrimp—cooked right—to your diet and you’ll reap a bunch of nutritional rewards. Like other types of seafood, shrimp is a solid protein source. Just three ounces of shrimp (around 11 to 12 medium-size ones) contains around 20 grams of protein—close to the same amount you’d find in three large eggs (19 grams) or a cup of Greek yogurt (22 grams). What’s more, that portion also packs a solid punch of some other nutrients, including iron, zinc, and selenium. It even delivers around 20% of the daily value (DV) for phosphorus and 15% of the DV for vitamin B12, according to Tufts University. And while shrimp don’t contain quite as many omega-3 fatty acids as fatty fish like salmon or tuna, they still boast some of these heart-healthy compounds. (In case you were wondering, while seafood has a reputation for high mercury content, shrimp don’t pose a threat in that regard. Unlike, say, shark, swordfish, and bigeye tuna, shrimp contains low levels of the toxic chemical.)