Meat Gels Research Articles

Studies on fish meat gels - II. Application of differential scanning calorimetry to food technological study of fish meat gels.

With an aim of studying the gel properties and its formation, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) was applied to the fish meat gels (kamaboko) in parallel with the jelly strength measurements. DSC curves of the gels were characterized by a single deep hollow with a bottom slightly below 100°C which represents the evaporation of water. Each curve was divided into two fractions, below and above 105°C (Q1 and Q2), and a quotient, R105 (=(Q2/(Q1+Q2))×100), was adopted to represent the amount of captured water in the total water of the gels. Two series of gels were prepared from Alaska pollack frozen mince, one with various protein concentrations, and another containing various amounts of egg white. The gels were submitted to DSC and jelly strength measuremetns. In both cases, R105 values illustrated good correlationships with the jelly strength values. That the state of water in the gels affects the gel properties like the jelly strength has suggested.

RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN BINDING QUALITY OF MEAT AND MYOFIBRILLAR PROTEINS: III: Contribution of Myosin A and Actin to Rheological Properties of Heated Minced-Meat Gel.

Myosin A and myosin B gels formed by heating exhibited similar binding abilities as measured by the breaking energy, but different physical properties. At equivalent concentrations, myosin A gels exhibited smaller values for the Young's modulus of elasticity and larger values for strain at the breaking point. It was inferred from the results of a simple model experiment that in sausage manufacture the physical properties of the heat set minced meat gel are of the myosin B type when no pyrophosphate is present, and similar to the myosin A type when pyrophosphate is added. In the latter case, the contribution of actin may be significant. The binding quality of the heat set myosin B gel increased with myosin concentration. Hence, the binding quality of sausage should be influenced by the myosin B content of meat.