Research Article
Ali Jafarpour, Habib-Allah Haj
Abstract
The effect of egg white powder (EWP), potato starch (PS) and soy protein isolate (SPI) at different levels on texture, color and sensory evaluation properties of surimi prepared from common carp was investigated. EWP was added at 1%, 2% and 3%, PS was added at 3%, 6% and 12%, and SPI was added at 10%, 20% and 30%. To evaluate the quality characteristics of the resulting surimi gel, some parameters (viscosity, gel strength, texture profile, waterholding capacity, color and sensory qualities) were analysed. The analyses indicated that the additives enhanced the functional properties of surimi gel prepared from common carp. EWP significantly improved texture properties at the greatest level (3%), whereas for color the best results came from the lowest level (1%). Conversely, PS showed its most significant effect on the surimi texture at the lowest (3%) level, but the surimi color was changed drastically at higher levels. In the case of SPI, only the lowest level (10%) did not significantly reduce the texture qualities and color of the resulting surimi gel and greater levels were detrimental to surimi gel characteristics. Finally, the best score by the panelists for overall liking was for the surimi gel containing 3% EWP. Hence, EWP can potentially improve the quality characteristics of common carp surimi gel.