Abstract
Problem of cooking temperature for fish-cakes (Kamaboko and related products) with reference to preservation and sanitation has proved an important subject for fish-cake industry in this country. Because insufficient cooking tends to cause spoilage of the product and occasionally result intoxication. In spite of the significance of the problem, there have been very few information about heat penetration of fish-cakes. For these reasons, the heat penetration has been measured with representative kinds of fish-cakes at commercial plants in several districts. The instrument used for the measurement is a copper-constantan thermocouple equipped with a mili-voltmeter; varieties of fish-cakes were either steamed, boiled, fried or roasted, during which process the heat penetration was determined.
The results are summarized as follows;
1) In general, high temperature at the core of fish-cake are more often observed in fried or roasted products than in steamed or boiled forms, regardless their sizes, kinds of raw fish, meat and sub-materials added.
2) Addition of starch into fish-cake seems to give an effect on the penetration of heat. As mixing of starch in fish paste usually reduces the ascendence of temperature. Perhaps more heat may be necessary to make β-type starch convert into α-type starch or dextrin. For this reason, cooking temperatare for fish-cake containing starch more than 10 per cent of its own weight must be controlled to keep higher than that for the product with no starch. As will be seen from Table I, an average cooking temperature suitable for starched cakes lies near 85°. C, while that for the products without starch about 80°C.
3) In a larger type of fish-cake called “Ooita Kamaboko”, the temperature at the core is not so easily increased as that of smaller sized ones. As these products are more frequently used for ceremonial occasions than for home consumption, it should be advised to fish-cake makers to give higher cooking temperature for these large sized commodities so as to prevent outbreak of group intoxication. Among many varieties of the products, “Hampen” is most often processed inadequately from sanitary point of view.
