Improvement of the gelling ability in restructured fish products: effect of 1-ethyl-3-(3-dimethylaminopropyl)carbodiimide level and pH

摘要

The production of heat-induced gels from raw materials with poor gelling ability remains a technical challenge, for which new solutions have been proposed. The addition to the gel batters of a cross-linking chemical agent, such as 1-ethyl-3-(3-dimethylaminopropyl)carbodiimide (EDC), may present a valuable tool for the improvement of gelling. Accordingly, a response surface methodology was used to optimize the conditions of EDC application, the EDC concentration (0.0–0.5 %, w/w) and the batters’ pH (4.5–7.5). Results showed that textural, colour, and water-binding properties of heat-induced hake gels were extremely sensitive to EDC content and pH. It was possible to find an optimal EDC level-pH binary common to the various studied parameters, a pH between 4.0 and 5.0 and an EDC concentration of 0.5 %, w/w. Moreover, this experimental work proved to be feasible the achievement of gel products of acceptable textural quality from frozen hake through EDC incorporation in optimal conditions.