Changes in Properties of Meat from Gizzard Shad as Raw Material for Fish Jelly Products during Iced or Frozen Storage

Abstract

Properties of gizzard shad which were stored at low temperature as raw material for fish jelly products were studied.
From the viewpoint of gel-forming ability, this fish was classified into the group of easy-setting and easy-disintegrating fish such as sardines. Hunter whiteness of kamaboko obtained was about 20% less than that of white-meat fish such as Alaska pollack. The fish exhibited a strong gel-forming ability such as that of lizard fish.
Gel-forming ability of the fish decreased to about 70% of the original ability during 12 days iced storage. The tolerant period of iced storage of the fish as material for fish jelly products was estimated to be about 10 days.
Gel-forming ability of frozen fish meat was about the same as that of unfrozen fish meat. Minced fish meat stored at -25°C which was frozen after being washed with alkaline-salt solution showed fairly strong gel-forming ability even after a frozen storage period as long as 6 months, while the fish meat which was frozen after being washed with water had weak gel-forming ability.
The gel-forming ability of the minced meat washed with alkaline-salt solution or water was found to be significantly correlated to total myofibrillar Ca-ATPase activity and the solubility of myofibrils in the minced meat which was stored on ice or frozen stored at -25°C. No such correlation was observed in the case of minced meat frozen stored at -50°C, even though alkaline-leaching was employed.