Technology for production of surimi powder and potential of applications

Headnote

Abstract

Surimi refers to concentrated myofibrial protein extracted from fish flesh by washing process. Surimi powder, is normally prepared in a dried form, and potentially useful as a raw material for preparation of seafood products. Surimi powder offers many advantages in industrial application, such as easy handling, low distribution cost, and physically convenient for addition to dry mixtures. In order to prevent the denaturation of the protein during drying, dryoprotectants such as sucrose and polyols can be added. Surimi powder is classified as fish protein concentrate type A because its protein content is higher than 65%. Surimi powder has good functional properties, such as gelation, water holding capacity, and emulsifying and foaming properties. Gel-based fish products and fish snacks are common products that can be made from surimi powder.

Keywords

Surimi powder

drying

functional properties

gel-based fish product

fish snack

Introduction

The term surimi refers to concentrated myofibrial protein extracted from fish flesh by washing minced meat that has been separated from bones, skin, and guts. During washing with cold water, fat and any other water-soluble contents are removed, whereas insoluble myofibrial protein is isolated. After being mixed with a cryoprotectant, this protein is called surimi (Okada, 1992). Surimi is a primary material used for gelling foods such as kamaboko and fish balls. Surimi generally comes in a block form and is stored frozen.

The Japanese began making surimi hundreds of year ago as a way to preserve fish meat. Today, surimi is a popular food item not only in Japan but also in many other countries due to its unique textural properties and high nutritional value (Park and Morrissey, 2000). It is estimated that around 315,800 million tons of surimi products were produced in the Southeast Asian region in 2005 (Laong and Siriraksophon, 2007). The popularity of surimi-based products among consumers favors the development of surimi manufacturing plants in many countries (Park, 2005).

After deboning of the fish, the sequence processes of making surimi involve mincing, washing and dewatering, refining, screw pressing, addition of cryoprotectant, and freezing (Park and Lin, 2005). The washing technique used is an important key in determining the quality of the surimi. Minced fish flesh is rapidly washed with chilled water (5-10°C), as low temperature water helps preserve the...