Change in the Quality of Highly Nutritional Fish Meat for Foodstuffs from Sardine during Frozen Storage

Abstract

Highly nutritional fish meat for foodstuffs (HNFM) containing 0, 2, 5, 8, and 10% sorbitol was prepared from fresh sardine and stored at -10, -20, -30, and -50°C for eight months. Then, changes in the gel-forming ability of HNFM and in the intensity of the odor during frozen storage were investigated.
During frozen storage at a temperature below -20°C for eight months, no significant change occurred in the gel-forming ability of HNFM whose sorbitol content was 5-10%. It was found that the freeze denaturation of myofibrillar protein in such HNFM was suppressed effectively. Moreover, the quantity of volatile compounds produced in HNFM and the intensity of the odor were little changed under frozen conditions.