Abstract
In order to investigate the gel-forming ability of tilapia muscle with freshness-lowering of its raw fish, the heat-induced gels from salt-ground meat of tilapia (i.e., tilapia paste: TP) were evaluated by the K value, jelly strength test, and the sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE).
When TP prepared from the fresh raw fish (K value=16%) was heated at 80°C for 20 and 120min, its heat-induced gels showed a desirable texture with high elasticity corresponding to that of surimibased products (i.e., kamaboko) on the market. The TP heated at the setting (suwari) temperature (40°C) for short time (20min) could produce a soft elasticity at high fresh conditions of raw fish below 17% of K value. The disintegration or degradation (himodori) could be controlled under the high fresh conditions of raw fish.
Accordingly, it was suggested that the tilapia muscle with the high freshness below 17% of K value could produce an available gel by setting and reducing of himodori.
