The postmortem biochemical changes in intact raw shrimp during iced storage were investigated and the relationship between these changes and the quality of the cooked product was evaluated. Changes in pH, microbial numbers, total and nonprotein nitrogen, tyro‐sine and carotenoid pigment content, proteolytic and polyphenolase enzyme activities and levels of trimethylamine‐oxide, trimethylamine, dimethylamine and formaldehyde were determined. Chemical changes were shown to be mediated by a combination of bacterial action and endogenous enzymatic activity. The washing action of melting ice could have played a major role. Organoleptic quality as shown by flavor panel evaluations progressively declined during an 8‐day storage period. Dimethylamine and formaldehyde levels in intact shrimp progressively increased as flavor panel scores decreased and may offer additional sensitive indices of cooked meat q
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