SENSORY AND INSTRUMENTAL EVALUATION OF MATERIAL PROPERTIES OF FISH GELS

Over 100 heat coagulated fish pastes with widely varying sensory texture properties were prepared and evaluated. Variations in species, geographical source of fish, cooking procedure and other variables provided a wide range in material properties. Small strain material properties were evaluated instrumentally using uniaxial sinusoidally varying force at a frequency of 2 Hz and recording stress, strain and the phase angle between the two. A multiblade shear/compression cell mounted in an Instron Universal Testing machine was used to measure the shear/compression failure force. The products were also evaluated by a trained texture profile panel using 13 character notes. The maximum shear/compression cell force was a good predictor of sensory springiness, firmness, cohesiveness, and gel strength for the heat coagulated fish pastes tested. These four sensory notes were good predictors of each other so that a panel rating of any one could be used to rate the other three with numerical ratings for all four being very similar. Gumminess and adhesiveness ratings were also very similar and varied inversely with the shear/compression cell force and with the above four panel notes. These two notes were directly proportional to the loss tangent of the product, which correlated with them about as well as did the shearlcompression cell force. The relationships developed between panel notes support the modification of the General Foods Texture profile suggested by Sherman (1969). Statistically developed equations giving sensory texture notes as functions of instrumental material properties are given and their implications discussed. Copyright © 1979, Wiley Blackwell. All rights reserved