A NEW SIMPLE METHOD FOR EVALUATION OF CHA RACTERISTIC GEL-FORMING ABILITY OF WALLEYE POLLACK FROZEN SURIMI IN A FACTORY

It is known that in the gelation of salt-ground meat from walleye poll ack surimi, favorable setting temperature appears to be at around 25 d egrees C, and the changing profile of gel strength of kamaboko gel as a function of setting at 40 degrees C varies among the preparations of frozen surimi. At a setting temperature of 40 degrees C, there was a general trend that the breaking strength of kamaboko gel formed from h igh grade surimi changed in a biphasic manner: on increase at an early stage of the setting and a subsequent decrease at a later stage, whil e the breaking strength of the gel from low grade surimi reduced in a monophasic manner. We showed that there is a good correlation between the maximum value of breaking strength of kamaboko gel attained throug h the setting at 25 degrees C and the changing rate of breaking streng th of kamaboko gel as a function of the setting time at 40 degrees C. On the basis of these findings, we proposed a simple and quick method for evaluating the characteristic gelling ability of walleye pollack f rozen surimi for practical use in a factory.