HEAT-INDUCED CHANGE IN MYOSIN HEAVY-CHAIN S IN SALT-GROUND MEAT WITH A FOOD ADDITIVE CONTAINING TRANSGLUTAMINASE

Walleye pollack frozen surimi was ground with 3.0% NaCl in the presenc e and absence of 0.3% food additive containing transglutaminase. The s alt-ground meat was heated at 25 degrees C or 40 degrees C for various durations, followed by heating at 90 degrees C for 30 min to obtain k amaboko gels. Quality of the kamaboko gel was evaluated from the chang es in the breaking strength and breaking strain as a function of prehe ating time, as previously reported. In the present study, the cross-li nking profile of myosin heavy chains of the same kamaboko gel was inve stigated. The results were as follows: (1) The addition of the additiv e containing transglutaminase remarkably accelerated the cross-linking reaction of myosin heavy chains in the salt-ground meat, accumulating cross-linked products with larger molecular sizes. (2) When such cros s-linked products were accumulated in a large quantity, the breaking s trength increased at a much higher rate than the increase in breaking strain of the same kamaboko gel. Considering the rate of progressing o f the cross-linking reaction between myosin heavy chains in the gel, t he quality of the kamaboko thus formed was shown to be clearly differe nt from that of the ordinary product.