RHEOLOGICAL CHANGES DURING THERMAL GELATION OF MEAT BATTERS CONTAINING SURIMI FROM ALASKA POLLACK (THERAGRA-CHALCOGRAMMA) OR SARDINE (SARDINA-PILCHARDUS)

The objective of this study was to use a thermal scanning rigidity monitor to analyse the changes occurring in rheological behaviour during thermal gelation induced by the presence of surimi in meat batters. These studies were conducted on systems prepared with pork meat to which varying proportions of surimi from Alaska pollack (Theragra chalcogramma (Pallas)) or sardine (Sardina pilchardus (Walb) were added. The results indicated that gelation in pork proteins did not occur in the same way as in fish proteins. Whereas the addition of Alaska pollack surimi to the meat preparations produced scarcely any change with respect to the meat alone, the sardine surimi caused major alterations. These changes depended upon the proportion of protein from surimi added: addition of 100 g kg-1 caused a protein matrix to form, inducing the formation of stiffer gels and the appearance of the setting phenomenon, although at higher temperatures than are found with fish proteins. Such behaviour was not apparent when the proportion of protein from surimi was raised to 200 g kg-1.