Protein breakdown during the preparation of frozen batter-coated squid rings

The objective of this paper was to study the main chemical and microstructural changes in squid proteins during processing as a frozen batter-coated product using different coatings. Protein bands of the squid and of the batters used for coating were studied using SDS-PAGE. It is concluded that it is not only the proteins of the layer of batter, which are directly exposed both to the frying oil and to freezing temperatures, that deteriorate during the preparation process, the protein fraction of the squid substrate, mainly the myofibrillar proteins, is also degraded. At a microstructural level, big voids are generated during freezing as a consequence of the packing of the fibres, although the size of these voids decreases after final frying. After this step of the process, the central sarcoplasm is still visible but has been altered by coagulation of the sarcoplasmic proteins and the sarcolemma is observed to be separate from the myofibrillar package.