89B-28 |
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S. R. BAXTER, Dept . of Food Science and Human Nutrition, Univ. of Maine, 5735 Hitchner Hall, Orono, ME 04469-5735 and D. I. Skonberg, Dept. of Food Science & Human Nutrition, Univ. of Maine, 5735 Hitchner Hall, Orono, ME 04469-5735. Crab processing typically involves hand picking claw and leg meat from cooked products. Remaining meat can be recovered using deboning equipment thereby reducing waste output. Minced meat can then be further processed into value added products. Gelation properties of thermally treated muscle proteins have yet to be reported. This study focuses on gel forming ability of processed crab mince. Objectives of the research were to determine if cryoprotectants, freezing and various heat treatments have an impact on gel formation of crab surimi. Previously frozen Jonah crab mince was washed to remove soluble components. Four different treatments were applied to the washed mince: 1) freezing with cryoprotectants, 2) freezing with no cryoprotectants, 3) no freezing with cryoprotectants, and 4) no freezing with no cryoprotectants. The cryoprotectant treatment was a combination of 4% sucrose, 4% sorbitol, and 0.3% polyphosphate. A control of unwashed mince was used for comparison. Following treatment, 2.5% NaCl was added to the surimi before gelation at 35°C/30min, 90°C/30min, or 35°C/30min followed by 90°C/30min. Gels were tested for moisture content, color, water holding capacity, and gel strength using the puncture test. The moisture of unwashed mince was significantly higher than that of the four treatments. Water holding capacity of gels was significantly different (p<0.05); gels with no added cryoprotectants had 10-20% greater water holding capacity than those with cryoprotectants. Color analysis data indicates frozen surimi with cryoprotectants was significantly more white than other treatments and all gels became more white after cooking. Frozen samples with no cryoprotectants and two stage heating exhibited significantly higher gel strengths than all other samples, approximately 10-fold higher than the gel strength of the softest samples. Results indicate that suitable surimi gels can be formed using thermally processed crab mince. Future work will focus on optimizing gelation conditions for the crab mince.
Session 89B, Aquatic Food Products: Surimi, gels and by-products
2005 IFT Annual Meeting, July 15-20 - New Orleans, Louisiana |