Heat Gelation Properties of Actomyosin and Surimi Prepared from Atlantic Croaker

Comminuted mixtures of fish muscle (surimi) and salt undergo a sol-gel transformation when subjected to heat processing which is responsible for the textural characteristics of fabricated imitation shellfish meats. Upon “setting” a fish muscle sol at temperatures below those conventionally used for heat processing meat products, a fine translucent gel network is formed which imparts strength and resiliency to the subsequently cooked gel product. Increased firmness and opacity, as well as some loss in cohesiveness, were noted upon processing surimi sols at higher temperatures. The low temperature “setting” property of fish proteins necessitates rapid forming or extrusion of the product prior to the initiation of network formation to insure a firm texture in the final product.