Elucidating Comminution Steps to Enhance the Value of Surimi from Tropical Fish

Biochemical and rheological properties of surimi were examined based on: (a) salting time (from 18 to 3 min) while maintaining 21 min for total chopping time; and (b) total chopping time (from 6 to 21 min) while salting during the final 3 min. Extending salting time, which was defined as time of salt contact with proteins during chopping, significantly increased breaking force and penetration distance, while chopping time extension with fixed salting time did not. Salt soluble proteins decreased when salting time decreased; however, this trend performed contrarily against chopping time. A relationship between gel texture and salt soluble proteins was not found. Oxidation of sulfhydryl groups could occur during the chopping process when chopping without salt was extended. Surface hydrophobicity, indicating a certain degree of protein unfolding, was affected differently by chopping versus salting time. Dynamic rheology demonstrated that total chopping time affected denaturation of the myosin tail region more than salting time.