LINEAR-PROGRAMMING AND RESPONSE-SURFACE METHODOLOGY TO OPTIMIZE SURIMI GEL TEXTURE

A formulation optimization study was conducted on surimi gels prepared with starch, and/or raw egg white employing the stepwise method (SM), linear programming (LP), and response surface methodology (RSM). At 7 8% moisture, the greatest gel strengthening and reduction of expressib le moisture occurred at 8% starch, 6% egg white, or a combination of 5 % starch and 5% egg white for SM, 5.33% starch and 4.33% egg white for LP, and 3.5% starch and 5% egg white for RSM. RSM resulted in gels wi th the greatest strength (compressive and penetration forces), followe d by LP and SM. The RSM enabled more accurate prediction of textural b ehavior of final product at various ingredient combinations than the S M or LP.