Waxy corn starch affecting texture and ultrastructure of sardine surimi gels

 The effect of waxy corn starch (WCS) on the texture, water-holding capacity and microstructure of sardine (Sardina pilchardus) surimi gels in two different systems was studied. In the type A system, increasing amounts of WCS (2, 4, 6 or 8 g/100 g surimi) were added to surimi while maintaining the gel moisture constant at 78%; in the type B system, WCS was added without correcting the gel moisture. Gels were made using two different heat treatments heat-induced setting (HS) and direct cooking (DC)]. When starch was replaced by surimi (type A) and a heat treatment was applied that favoured formation of a preliminary actomyosin (AM) network (i.e. HS), gel strength (GS) was lower than in the control and decreased as more starch was added, despite an increase in the amount of water held by the gel. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) showed that the matrix network was fibrillar with a globular surface. Starch appeared to be totally gelatinized and surrounded by a continuous matrix. When the amount of dry matter in gels was increased (type B), in no case did starch have a reinforcing effect, despite an increasing water-holding capacity; SEM showed a denser continuous matrix surrounding the gelatinized starch. Both types of gel made using the heat treatment that allows simultaneous gelling of surimi and gelatinization of starch (i.e. DC) exhibited much poorer GS than did HS gels, while addition of starch made practically no difference to gel texture. The findings suggest that the effect of starch is related to the type of gel matrix that forms upon addition of ingredients. Although such gels contained more water or dry matter, their texture parameters were lower, possibly because of the type of network formed by sardine surimi. Nonetheless, gels of acceptable quality were successfully made with added starch by incorporating less surimi. Received: 18 March 1996