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The Malaysian freshwater prawn Macrobrachium rosenbergii was used for nutritional, bacteriological and sensory evaluations. Prawns were refrigerated (0 ± 1°C) and divided into two groups named T1 and T2 corresponding to permeable and impermeable (O2/CO2) packaging, respectively, in order to evaluate their shelf life. The percent composition ensured its high nutritional value, and consumer testing showed that acceptability was close to ideal, with good purchase intent. The type of treatment did not significantly influence the parameters assessed, and the shelf life was established as 150 h. The mesophilic bacteria count was the determining factor for quality assessment. Total volatile basic nitrogen and pH were not good parameters for evaluating quality, whereas the biogenic amines, especially agmatine, appeared to be appropriate quality parameters.