Method for producing a functional protein concentrate from giant squid (Dosidicus gigas) muscle

The conventional way of processing a protein concentrate (surimi) (and further gelation) from squid muscle poses a number of difficulties, essentially because of the peculiarities of the myofibrillar proteins, which cause extensive very high autolysis and, sometimes, off-flavours and bad taste in the muscle. To overcome these problems, a new procedure has been devised for processing this functional protein concentrate from giant squid (Dosidicus gigas) muscle. It is based on the solubilization of the mantle at very low ionic strength and neutral pH (0.16 M NaCl and 0.1% NaHCO3) with 250 ppm of EDTA and further acid precipitation (pH 4.7–4.9) of much of the muscle protein, eliminating the substances responsible for bad taste and odours in the discarded supernatant. Subsequent thermal gelation should be achievable in only one stage, at 90 °C, after adding 0.2% Ca(OH)2 and 1% NaCl. With this processing, gels of about 400 g cm of gel strength can be obtained.