Effects of Dehydration on Fish Muscles at Chilled Temperature

Abstract

Recently,new method of removing water from fish fillet at low temperature using dehydration sheet have been reported. The present study is concerned with the factors to affect the quality during dehydration of horse mackerel muscle at low temperature. The rate of dehydration at -3 °C was about two times faster than that at 0 °C. The rate of denaturation of fish muscle protein was kept less than about 10 % (ATPase activity) of the undenaturated initial values after removing free water content. Present results suggest the practical possibility of the dehydration at -3 °C for keeping quality of fish flesh.