83A-3 |
|
J. C. RAMIREZ-SUAREZ, Meat and Seafood Products Technology, Centro de Investigación en Alimentación y Desarrollo, A.C., Carretera a la Victoria Km. 0.6, Apdo Postal 1735, Hermosillo, Sonora, 83000, Mexico and M. T. Morrissey, Dept. of Food Science & Technology, Oregon State Univ., OSU Seafood Research Lab., 2001 Marine Dr., Rm. 253, Astoria, OR 97103-3420. Troll-caught West Coast Albacore tuna (Thunnus alalunga) muscle has been used primarily for commercial canning operations. The recent decline in albacore purchases by larger canneries from small coastal trollers has forced this fishery to seek new product alternatives. Recently, high-pressure processing (HPP) has become feasible for a number of value-added seafood products. HPP inactivates product-spoiling microorganisms and enzymes at low temperatures without changing sensory characteristics and preserving its natural flavors and nutritional content. A variety of muscle products with fresh appearance, improved texture and longer shelf life can be developed with HPP technology. The objective of this study was to investigate pressure-treatment effects on shelf-life of minced albacore tuna muscle at refrigerated (4°C) and frozen storage (-20°C). Minced muscle samples treated with 275 and 310 MPa for 2, 4, and 6 min and stored at 4°C (22 days) and –20°C (93 days) were analyzed. Physical (moisture, texture, color), chemical (lipid content and oxidation, pH, electrophoresis), and microbiological (aerobic counts of mesophiles and psycrophiles) analyses were carried out. Results showed that HPP increased pH slightly (£0.1 unit at both storage temperatures), decreased lipid oxidation, maintained low microorganism counts, and whitened the muscle. Gelation of muscle tissue occurred with increasing pressures and hardness was proportional to pressure and holding time, due to intermolecular disulfide bonds. HPP treatments were effective in increasing albacore muscle shelf-life (>22 days at 4°C). Results suggest that by selection of HPP parameters, i.e., pressure and holding time, the characteristics of minced albacore muscle can be altered and shelf-life increased.
Session 83A, Aquatic Food Products: Byproducts, mince and surimi
|