Improvement of surimi gel quality using protein crosslinker and hydrocolloids

Surimi is one of the raw materials for aquatic food products. To date, it has gained wide popularity due to its unique characteristics including high protein, low calorie, low fat, low cholesterol, good gelling properties and unique texture. Gelling properties are one of the decisive factors in the quality of surimi products and affect the textural characteristics of the product and consumer experience. Due to temperature fluctuations, the gel quality of surimi products is de-graded by ice crystals: hardness decreases, moisture is lost, and the gel network is destroyed. In this regard, the use of various additives that can improve the quality of the gel is currently an im-portant scientific and practical task. The aim of the article is to analyze the possibilities of improv-ing the quality of surimi gel using protein crosslinker, hydrocolloids. The results obtained during the study allowed us to establish that texture is an important parameter in determining the quality characteristics and consumer acceptability of surimi products. The addition of various additives and the use of protein crosslinkers represents a promising trend in surimi manufacturing technolo-gies. However, the additive dosage should be controlled to maximize the effect. In addition, the author noted that promising research directions may encompass the study of combining various additives with modern surimi processing techniques.