Effects of repeated use of fish flesh-soaking water on the quality of soaked fish flesh

Abstract

　This study evaluated the manufacturing process of surimi, involving recycling of fish flesh-soaking water after removing lipids and proteins from wastewater. Even after the soaking water was used five times, the lipid, protein, and iron contents in the soaked flesh were significantly lower than before soaking. Therefore, recycling the soaking water did not reduce the effects of water soaking. Of the protein content effused in the wastewater, 57-70% was recovered as heat-coagulated products, reducing the total volume of wastewater to a fifth. Therefore, the loading of the wastewater was greatly reduced. If heat-coagulated products can be converted into food ingredients and reused soaking water extracts can be recycled as raw materials, it may become possible to manufacture surimi without producing any waste materials.