Influencing factors on changes in myosin heavy chain and jelly strength of salted meat paste from Alaska pollack during setting

The frozen surimi of Alaska pollack was ground with NaCl and the salted meat paste was submitted to setting. When the setting proceeded, the decrease in myosin heavy chain (MHC) and the increase in jelly strength of the paste were investigated as a function of protein content, NaCl concentration, pH, and temperature. From the time courses, the rate (v1) and extent (e1) of decreasing MHC and those (v2 and e2) of increasing jelly strength were evaluated. As the decrease in MHC was accompanied by the formation of its polymer, the decreasing ability was presumed to manifest a cross-linking ability of MHC. On the other hand the increasing ability of jelly strength showed a gel-forming ability of the source. It was thus found that there is a positive correlation between the cross-linking ability of MHC (expressed as v1•e1) and the gel-forming ability (expressed as v2•e2) of the salted meat paste. As the protein content increases in the paste, the abilities given by v1•e1 and v2•e2 were both largely enhanced. At a fixed protein content, the same abilities (V1•C2 and v2•e2) Were largest When NaCl concentration Was at 0.5 M, pH at 7.0, and temperature at 25°C.