What is the little black thing in the back of shrimp?

Question

When you get shrimp,and its not "de veined" what exactley is that little black/brown line that runs in the back of the shrimp? My husband gave me his answer,(he said its there poo)and he refuses to eat shrimp because of that...I have a hard time,however,believing, that the FDA or any other food assoication would approve shrimp (or any other food) to be sold for consumption with waste product still inside of its body. So if any of you are food connesuiers, or just are really smart...perhaps you could enlighten me, so I know what it is. Thank you!

Answer 1

Its there p**p!

Answer 2

It is the digestive tract but it isn't a big deal. I may be gross I guess, but I have eaten them with that still in tact. Depending on the size, but the little shrimp, you cannot even taste any difference. The bigger ones do taste gritty, so just run a knife along the back to remove it. Not too much work but well worth it afterwards. MMMMMMMMMM... HOPE THIS HELPS..

Answer 3

**** vein  some call it the mud vein

Answer 4

The absolute straight dope is that the black line found in most shrimp is its intestine.

To be accurate (and this is the Straight Dope, after all), the black stuff is the contents of the intestine and not the intestine itself.

Answer 5

Sorry to say, your hubby is right. I used to eat shrimp all the time, after learning this fact when I moved south I only eat it if I have bought it and deveined it myself

Answer 6

It's the digestive system.  So, in some regards, your husband is correct in stating that it's poo.

Answer 7

Your husband is correct.

If you  trace that black vein, it begins at the head of the shrimp, where its mouth is. It ends at the tail, where it gets rid of sand and the remnants of the food it had yesterday.

Answer 8

its a vien

Answer 9

Your husband is right. It is the digestive canal of a shrimp. You must get rid of it before cooking it. Lot of work?? un-huh I hear ya or you must pay extra to buy de-veined onces.

Answer 10

Waste, I buy mine at Albertsons, deveined, perfect..Come frozen in two lb bag.

Answer 11

your husband is a moron. have him read this.

the fda action defect level manual. he will never eat again.

http://vm.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/dalbook.htm...

and forget about organic foods.

Answer 12

It is the intestine of the shrimp.  Your cookbook will tell you that you should remove it.

Answer 13

It's the p**p chute.  Just like our intestines.  I had to educate a prep cook once on what it was when I was teaching him deveining.  I held one up and squished it and told him to do the same.  He said it felt like sand.  "Yeah, that's the sand they've ingested and it's passing through."  He was grossed out by finding out that fact.  Then I held up a cleaner one and said "Apparently this guy hadn't eaten in a while!"  He got used to deveining after that.