Water binding, thermotransitional properties and the dispersion pattern of ingredients were studied in relation to their texture-modifying effects in surimi gels. The DSC-measured bound water (unfreezable at -30-degrees-C) of surimi gels prepared with potato starch with and without pregelatinization highly correlated with compressive force (r = 0.94) and inversely correlated with expressible moisture (R = -0.99) of the gels. For nonfish proteins, however, physically bound water contributed more than the DSC-measured bound water to gel strength. The ability to undergo thermal transition (size expansion and water absorption) and dispersion pattern of ingredients were responsible for the differences in texture-modifying effects.
