Application of differential scanning calorimetry to food technological study of fish meat gels

With an aim of studying the gel properties and its formation, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) was applied to the fish meat gels (kamaboko) in parallel with the jelly strength measurements. DSC curves of the gels were characterized by a single deep hollow with a bottom slightly below 100°C which represents the evaporation of water. Each curve was divided into two fractions, below and above 105°C (Q1 and Q2), and a quotient, R105 (=(Q2/(Q1+Q2))×100), was adopted to represent the amount of captured water in the total water of the gels. Two series of gels were prepared from Alaska pollack frozen mince, one with various protein concentrations, and another containing various amounts of egg white. The gels were submitted to DSC and jelly strength measuremetns. In both cases, R105 values illustrated good correlationships with the jelly strength values. That the state of water in the gels affects the gel properties like the jelly strength has suggested.