title: Gelation properties of previously cooked minced meat from Jonah crab (Cancer borealis) as affected by washing treatment and salt concentration.
abstract: The influence of washing treatment (dewatered only, one wash, and three washes) and sodium chloride (NaCl) concentration (0%, 2%, and 4%) on the gelation properties of crab mince was investigated. This previously cooked muscle mince is a low-value by-product of the crab processing industry, considered to have little or no functional properties. Crab mince gels were produced and tested for water-holding capacity (WHC), gel strength, colour, and electrophoretic profile. Wash treatment and NaCl concentration significantly affected gelation. Washed samples exhibited significantly higher WHC than dewatered samples. The 4% NaCl treatment decreased WHC compared to lower NaCl levels. Multiple washing steps increased the force to gel deformation. Wash treatment and NaCl concentration also affected the colour of gels. Based on these results, cooked crab meat mince treated with three washes and 0% NaCl resulted in the strongest gels with the best water-holding capacity, which can be used in the development of value-added products.
authors.affiliation: Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition, University of Maine, 5735 Hitchner Hall, Orono, ME 04469-5735, United States.
authors.forename: S R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Baxter
authors.affiliation: Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition, University of Maine, 5735 Hitchner Hall, Orono, ME 04469-5735, United States. Electronic address: Denise.Skonberg@umit.maine.edu.
authors.forename: D I
authors.initials: DI
authors.lastname: Skonberg
keywords: Denatured proteins; Jonah crab; Surimi; Thermal gelation