EFFECTS OF NACL AND SORBITOL PERMEATIONS INTO MEAT FROM WALLEYE POLLACK ON DENATURATION OF MYOFIBRILLAR PROTEINS AND MOISTURE-CONTENT DURING SOAKING

Meat blocks from walleye pollack were soaked in solutions containing 0 similar to 1.0 M NaCl(N), 0 similar to 1.5 M sorbitol (S), or their c ombinations with varied ratios for 24 hours at 4 degrees C. The increa se in N and S of the meat, the denaturation of myofibrillar protein as measured by the loss of Ca-ATPase activity, and the decrease in moist ure content of the meat were investigated as a function of soaking tim e. The results were as follows: (1) During the soaking, N and S permea te into the meat with definite concentration ratio. The permeation rat io of N and S depends roughly on the composite ratio of N and S in the soaking solution. (2) The first-order rate constant for denaturation of myofibrillar Ca-ATPase during the soaking process was largely depen dent on the concentrations and the ratio of N and S in meat. (3) There was good negative correlations between the rate of decrease in moistu re content of soaked meat and the concentration of NaCl or sorbitol pe rmeated into the same meat. These findings may be useful to control th e quality of meat block during soaking in NaCl and sorbitol mixture.