Low-salt restructured products from striped mullet ( Mugil cephalus) using microbial transglutaminase or whey protein concentrate as additives

Abstract

Striped mullet ( Mugil cephalus) is an abundant fish species in the north side of the Gulf of Mexico. Despite its high volume of capture for the commercialization of roe, the flesh of striped mullet is underutilized because of its dark colour and unpleasant odour. The objective of this work was to determine the feasibility of obtaining restructured products from striped mullet aided by additives. Microbial transglutaminase (MTGase) or whey protein concentrate (WPC) were used as binders. Two concentrations of salt (10 or 20 g/kg) were tested to evaluate the effects on the mechanical properties (texture profile analysis and puncture test), expressible water and colour attributes. Minced fish from striped mullet yielded good gels at both salt concentrations with MTGase. The results showed that MTGase (3 g/kg) and low-salt concentration (10 g/kg) were appropriate for improving the properties of restructured products obtained from striped mullet.