85%

Shrimp (shell-on) yields 85%

You buy shrimp (shell-on) by its whole weight, but you only plate 85% of it. That 15% loss is real cost the invoice never shows — here's the math.

Yield is the fraction of an ingredient that actually reaches the plate after you clean, peel, and trim it. What you pay is the AP (as-purchased) price; what it costs on the plate is the EP (edible-portion) price.

Shell, head, and water weight are the loss — shellfish yields are the lowest in the kitchen, so the cost per usable ounce runs high.

Say your invoice shows $9.00 per lb of shrimp (shell-on) (an example AP price).

At 85% yield, your real cost is $10.59 per lb EP — because $9.00 ÷ 0.85 = $10.59.

AP price is illustrative; the EP figure is computed (AP ÷ yield). Use your real invoice price below.

Yield breakdown

As-purchased (AP)100%
Edible portion (EP)85%
Lost to trim15%

Source: CIA Standard Yield Tables.

Common questions

What is the yield of shrimp (shell-on)?

Shrimp (shell-on) typically yields 85% edible portion of its as-purchased weight, per the CIA Standard Yield Tables.

How much shrimp (shell-on) is lost to trim?

About 15% of the as-purchased weight is lost to cleaning, peeling, and trimming before it reaches the plate.

How do you calculate the edible-portion cost of shrimp (shell-on)?

Divide the as-purchased price by the yield: EP cost = AP price ÷ 0.85. At 85% yield, the trim makes your real plated cost meaningfully higher than the invoice price.

Market readconfidence directional · as of 2026-06-01

About directional only, down -11% over the recent window.

Watch. Too new to call — too little history so far. Treat the price as real until a pattern shows.

Direction only — no comparable dollar level yet.

Sources · 3
NOAA Fisheries · BLS PPI · FRED — public data, as of 2026-06-01. Wholesale reference, not the delivered price you pay.

Sourced: CIA Standard Yield Tables, via the Plate Cost Calculator · what yield means · edible portion