ABSTRACT
Since the myofibrillar protein network is responsible for the cohesiveness and textural strength of the minced fish product, an increase of moisture content dilutes the myofibrillar protein concentration. Fish mince being exposed to temperature ranged between 50 and 70°C either during setting or in slow heating causes reduction in gel strength of minced fish products. Fish, shrimp, or cuttlefish being minced and formed into ball-shape products have been a type of traditional Chinese cuisine for a long history. Since myofibrillar proteins are salt soluble, the grinding of fish with no salt added does not disrupt the myofibrillar structure, of which the M-lines and the Z-bands are still intact. Pelagic fish, of which the muscles are darker than bottom fish, have a higher content of heat-coagulable sarcoplasmic protein than the white fish. Fish caught during and after spawning are high in moisture and relatively low in lipid and protein as compared to those caught in feeding period.
