The most common treatment for shrimp is sodium tripolyphosphate. The shrimp is harvested at the aquaculture site, it is then taken to the factory for processing. Once the product arrives to the factory, it is washed, sorted by size and then treated with a chemical called sodium tripolyphosphate or sodium bisulfite to enhance moisture. Basically it is a solution of water, salt and tripolyphosphate or sodium bisulfite, the shrimp is added to the solution and is stirred manually or some factories have automated stirrers, the shrimp is agitated in the solution for a period of time, could be as little as 60 minutes to 240 minutes plus. The lighter the treatment, the tastier the shrimp will be, in this case more is not better.
