Textural properties of heat-induced gels prepared using different grades of Alaska pollock surimi under ohmic heating

Abstract

Frozen Alaska pollock surimi (FA, A, and RA grades) was used to clarify how the heating method (ohmic heating and water bath heating) and heating rate affect the physical properties of heat-induced gels. Textural properties were significantly influenced by the heating method and heating rate. In 1-step heating, slow heating enhanced the gel strength of high-grade surimi more effectively than that of low-grade surimi. The quality of gels prepared by water bath and ohmic heating differed even if the heating time to the final temperature was the same, probably due to differences in the linear and non-linear temperature patterns of the two heating methods. The results of gels formed by 2-step heating and those with suppressed setting by EDTA confirmed that a slow heating rate enhanced gel strength by altering the setting phenomenon, but was also influenced by the modori effect, and the degree of enhancement differed depending on the surimi grade.