Physical and Sensory Properties of Frozen Spanish Mackerel (Scomberomorus guttatus) Fish Balls Added with Cryoprotectants

Abstract

The aim of this study was to determine the effect of cryoprotectants (CPA) namely sucrose:sorbitol mixture (S:S), trehalose, and inulin HD on the physical properties of frozen Spanish mackerel (Scomberomorus guttatus) fish balls. Consumer acceptance of fish balls added with the CPA were also determined. Fish balls were made by mixing Spanish mackerel surimi with 8 % CPA, 3 % salt, and 18 % water, where the paste was formed into ball shape, cooked, cooled, and stored in −20 °C freezer for a month, followed by various physical analyses. Marked increased (p < 0.05) in drip loss was observed for all the samples after 1 month frozen storage except for samples added with S:S. Water holding capacity for all the samples decreased significantly (p < 0.05) after frozen storage, but the decrease was lower in samples added with CPA. Textural profile analyses namely hardness, springiness, cohesiveness, and chewiness of fish balls showed no significant difference (p ≥ 0.05) for CPA added samples, but significant (p < 0.05) increase in hardness was observed in the control after frozen storage. Gel strength did not show a significant (p ≥ 0.05) difference for all the samples after frozen storage. Sensory test revealed that S:S samples showed consistent scores for both unfrozen and frozen samples in terms of color, hardness, springiness, taste, and overall preference. Overall, S:S might be the better choice of CPA for fish ball owing to its ability to retain most of the fish balls’ physical properties and its higher preference score.