ABSTRACT

The frozen surimi processing technology was developed in the 1960s, when it was discovered that sugar was an effective cryoprotectant for fish protein. The growth of the surimi industry was based on the Alaska pollock or walleye Pollock. Surimi is stabilized myofibrillar protein obtained from mechanically deboned fish flesh that is washed with water and blended with cryoprotectant and is considered as intermediate product. The quality and characteristic of frozen surimi are affected by various factors such as the fish species used and fish freshness. Surimi processing is a continuous process involving several operations such as unloading/receiving/holding, sorting, heading, gutting, filleting, mincing/deboning, washing, dewatering, refining, screw pressing, blending with cryoprotectants, block forming, freezing, and frozen storage. The washing stage of surimi processing is very important since it has a direct influence on its quality. During the washing step, fish protein picks up water, so the dewatering step is very important in processing of surimi.