Effect of the Partial Substitution of Sodium Chloride on the Gel Properties and Flavor Quality of Unwashed Fish Mince Gels from Grass Carp

Evaluation of the texture characteristics and taste of shrimp surimi with partial replacement of NaCl by non‑sodium metal salts

Ionic strength plays a significant role in the aggregation behavior of myofibrillar proteins. The study investigated the effects of KCl or CaCl2 as substitutes for NaCl on the gel properties and taste of shrimp surimi at a constant ionic strength (IS = 0.51). Increased KCl substitution ratio resulted in a reduction in α-helix content and an increase in β-sheet content of myofibrillar proteins, thereby enhancing water holding capacity. Optimal KCl substitutions (1.5% NaCl +1.94% KCl) contributed to maintaining the desired taste and improving gel properties. CaCl2 facilitates the extraction and dissolution of myofibrillar proteins, resulting in an organized and dense gel network with significant water-holding capacity. However, excessive additions (>1.27%) resulted in a notable decrease in taste and gel strength due to excessive aggregation and precipitation of myofibrillar proteins. These findings provide a solid theoretical foundation for production of high-quality, low-salt shrimp surimi.

κ-Carrageenan masking bitterness perception in surimi gels containing potassium chloride-based salt substitutes: Gel properties, oral processing, and sensory evaluation

κ-Carrageenan (CG) was employed to mask the bitterness induced by 50% KCl in surimi gels to achieve salt reduction and gel performance improvement. The combination of KCl and CG (KCl + CG) yielded the increased textural characteristics and water-holding capacity (WHC) of surimi gels and facilitated the transition of free water to immobilized water. In addition, the KCl + CG supplement increased the turbidity and particle size of myofibrillar protein (MP) sols but decreased the surface hydrophobicity in a dose-dependent manner. The hydrophobic interactions and disulfide bonds played crucial roles in maintaining the stability of MP gels. The specific binding of potassium ions to the sulfate groups of CG limited the release and diffusion of potassium ions from the surimi gels during oral processing, effectively masking the bitterness perception and maintaining the saltiness perception. This study provides a promising strategy to reduce the utilization of sodium salt in surimi products.

Understanding the role of CaCl2 in salt substitute for low-salt and high-quality surimi products

Salt substitute has been widely used to prepare low-salt foods due to potential health benefits, though the role of CaCl2 in salt substitute and its unique impacts on food quality have been rarely investigated. In this study, comprehensive research has been conducted to elucidate the effects of replacing NaCl with varying concentrations of CaCl2 on the surimi gel characteristics. The introduction of CaCl2 interacted with surimi proteins differently from NaCl, thus leading to difference in protein aggregation behaviors and surimi gel properties. It has been found that a proper proportion of CaCl2 for NaCl substitution could create salt bridges between surimi proteins more effectively, resulting in an ordered, smooth and dense gel network with an increased water holding capacity (WHC) and improved gel strength. Furthermore, TGase activated by Ca 2+ boosted the formation of ε-(γ-glutamyl) lysine bonds, which cross-linked surimi proteins to form a firm gel with a better three-dimensional structure. However, replacing NaCl with excessive amount of CaCl2 as divalent salts induced more serious protein aggregation, leading to water loss and gel properties deterioration. More specially, replacing NaCl with CaCl2 at 50% showed the best performance, as evidenced by the most abundant disulfide bonds and hydrophobic interactions, highest hardness and chewiness, and greatest storage modulus. This study provided new insights on developing high-quality surimi gels with significantly reduced salt concentration and improved gel characteristics.

Effects of daylily extract microcapsule on the quality and gel properties of steamed fish cake-a surimi-based product

This study evaluated the effects of 0.95% daylily powder (m/m, 0.95%-DL), 0.5% daylily extract (m/m, 0.5%-DLE), and 0.5% daylily extract microcapsules (m/m, 0.5%-DLEMC) on the storage stability, gel properties, and microstructure of steamed fish cake. The results showed that 0.5%-DLEMC exhibited superior performance in maintaining product quality, significantly enhancing gel strength and reducing cooking loss. Detailed analysis revealed that both 0.5%-DLE and 0.5%-DLEMC promoted protein unfolding, leading to a structural transition from random coil to β-sheet, and increased the formation of disulfide and non-disulfide covalent bonds. These molecular interactions contributed to the formation of a more uniform and dense gel network, improving the overall gel properties. The overall findings suggest that the use of 0.5% DLEMC manifests potential in improving the quality of surimi-based products and would provide guidance for the implementation of DLEMC as an innovative additive in the food industry.

A review of the world's salt reduction policies and strategies - preparing for the upcoming year 2025

Excessive consumption of dietary sodium is a significant contributor to non-communicable diseases, including hypertension and cardiovascular disease. There is now a global consensus that regulating salt intake is among the most cost-effective measures for enhancing public health. More than half of the countries worldwide have implemented multiple strategies to decrease salt consumption. Nevertheless, a report on sodium intake reduction published by the World Health Organization revealed that the world is off-track to meet its targeted reduction of 30% by 2025. The global situation regarding salt reduction remains concerning. This review will center on domestic and international salt reduction policies, as well as diverse strategies, given the detrimental effects of excessive dietary salt intake and the existing global salt intake scenario. Besides, we used visualization software to analyze the literature related to salt reduction research in the last five years to explore the research hotspots in this field. Our objective is to enhance public awareness regarding the imperative of reducing salt intake and promoting the active implementation of diverse salt reduction policies.

Effects of rice bran feruloyl oligosaccharides on gel properties and microstructure of grass carp surimi

Effects of feruloyl oligosaccharides (FOs) from rice bran on the gel properties, microstructure, and sensory properties of grass crap surimi gel were investigated. The results showed that FOs decreased the whiteness of surimi gel, and improved the water-holding capacity and breaking force of surimi gel. According to the texture analysis, the hardness and chewiness of surimi gel significantly increased by adding 0.3% FOs, but had no significant effect on the springiness and cohesiveness. The changes in AFM images indicated that FOs made myofibrillar protein aggregated and uniformly distributed. The SEM micrograph revealed that the 0.3% FOs group had the most compact and ordered network structure. Additionally, sensory characteristics suggested that FOs reduced off-odor from freshwater fish and remained fish delicious taste. This study provides a new prospect for the potential commercial application of FOs as a health gel enhancer in surimi products.