Influence of amino acid addition during the storage life of high pressure processed low salt surimi gels

- Acceptable low salt surimi gels are made under high pressure and aminoacids.
- Physical and microbiological properties are suitable up to 14 of chilled storage.
- Gels added of cystine developed off flavors after 14 days of chilled storage.

Protein gelation is the main step in the preparation of surimi-based products. Salt addition is essential in thermal gelation in order to dissolve myofibrillar proteins before heating. The manufacture of reduced-NaCl surimi-based products poses a technological challenge to the surimi gelation in that the proteins are not previously unfolded. In this study reduced-NaCl surimi gels (0.3 g/100 g NaCl) were made by adding cystine (0.1 g/100 g) or lysine (0.1 g/100 g), with or without high pressure assistance (300 MPa) to determine the influence of those additives on surimi gel and on stability over up to 28 days of chilled storage. Results indicated that the physicochemical properties achieved in the reduced-NaCl surimi gels were similar to those of the gels with regular NaCl content (3 g/100 g). Gel properties remained stable throughout chilled storage, indicating a successful gelation process and a well stabilized protein network. Although gels were microbiologically safe (<106 CFU/g) during chilled storage, sensory analysis detected off-flavour after day 14, especially in cystine samples, rendering them unacceptable. In conclusion these gels exhibit good physicochemical and sensory properties as well as microbiological and sensory stability up to day 14 of chilled storage.