Effect of hydrocolloids and pretreatments on the keeping quality of minced fillets of whiting and cod during frozen storage

The present study examines the effects of additions of hydrocolloids and pretreatments (precooking and irradiation) on the stability of minced fillets of whiting and cod during frozen storage (-18°C).

Some hydrocolloids (Xanthan gum, alginates, carboxymethyl celluloses and Iota and Lambda carrageenan) increase the water holding capacity and have a cryoprotective effect on the texture of the fish minces during frozen storage.

Irradiation (300 krad, -20°C) can be applied to the fish minces for decreasing the number of viable microorganisms, without affecting the keeping quality of the fish minces in the post-irradiation frozen storage. Precooking the fish minces up to an internal temperature of 80°C or higher, for short periods of time (about 1 minute), prevents the production of dimethyIamine and formaldehyde in the fish minces during subsequent frozen storage. Both precooking and irradiation can be used in combination with additions of hydrocolloids in the fish minces with beneficial effects.

Hydrocolloids can be used as additives in the manufacture of minced fish products, decreasing the weight loss on cooking, stabilizing the texture and in certain cases increasing significantly the acceptability of the fish products during frozen storage. Iota carrageenan and under certain conditions carboxymethyl cellulose decrease the fat uptake of battered and breaded minced fish products during frying.