Fish Paste Gelation Using Transglutaminase and Ascorbic Acid

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing methods for producing fish paste products, such as deep-fried fish paste cakes, face challenges in achieving sufficient firmness and elasticity while maintaining production suitability, especially when using reduced amounts of surimi and varying production times, leading to inconsistent product quality and undesirable textures.

Innovation Solution

A method combining transglutaminase with ascorbic acid or related compounds and α-glucosidase, where specific amounts of these enzymes are added to the surimi prior to heating, optimizing the proportions to achieve desired firmness and elasticity, and an enzyme preparation containing these ingredients is used to enhance the production process.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Quantity of substance

If the amount of surimi is reduced to lower material cost, then production cost decreases, but firmness and elasticity of the fish paste product deteriorate

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveamount of surimiVSAvoidfirmness and elasticity
Core Design Contradiction:
Quantity of substanceVSStrength

Solution Approach 1:

The invention changes the chemical parameters by introducing transglutaminase enzyme and ascorbic acid to modify the protein structure and enhance gelation, allowing reduced surimi content while maintaining firmness and elasticity through enzymatic cross-linking and oxidative reactions

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The invention creates a composite system combining surimi with auxiliary materials including transglutaminase, ascorbic acid, starch, and vegetable proteins, where the synergistic interaction of these components compensates for reduced surimi content while maintaining or enhancing textural properties

Inventive Principle:
Principle #40Composite materials

2Strength

If alkali salt is added in sufficient amount to reinforce firmness and elasticity, then textural properties improve, but flavor quality deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvefirmness and elasticityVSAvoidflavor quality
Core Design Contradiction:
StrengthVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The invention replaces the chemical mechanism of alkali salt with an enzymatic mechanism using transglutaminase and oxidative mechanism using ascorbic acid to achieve protein cross-linking and gelation, thereby maintaining firmness and elasticity without the harmful flavor effects of excessive alkali salt

Inventive Principle:
Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

3Strength

If transglutaminase amount is increased to achieve sufficient firmness and elasticity in deep-fried fish paste cakes, then textural properties improve, but physical properties change during standing time

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvefirmness and elasticityVSAvoidphysical properties stability
Core Design Contradiction:
StrengthVSStability of the object's composition

Solution Approach 1:

The invention performs preliminary action by adding ascorbic acid before transglutaminase to pre-oxidize the protein structure, creating a more stable substrate that undergoes controlled enzymatic cross-linking, thereby achieving firmness and elasticity while minimizing further physical changes during standing time

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The invention employs periodic action through a two-stage process: first ascorbic acid oxidation, then transglutaminase enzymatic reaction, allowing controlled progression of structural changes that achieve desired texture stability without excessive ongoing reactions during standing

Inventive Principle:
Principle #19Periodic action

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

The method effectively suppresses variations in physical properties during production, providing fish paste products with improved firmness and elasticity, even with reduced surimi usage, and maintains texture quality, making it suitable for various fish paste products like deep-fried cakes and imitation crab.

Implementation Method 1

by using enzymes such as a transglutaminase and an ascorbate oxidase in combination with alkali and auxiliary materials serving as the substrate

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectEnzyme catalysis: Enzyme

Implementation Method 2

the addition of ascorbic acid to surimi increases the gel strength

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectReduction: Reduction

Implementation Method 3

an enzyme preparation for producing a fish paste product, containing ascorbic acid, sodium ascorbate, ascorbic acid 2-glucoside, ascorbyl palmitate or ascorbyl stearate and a transglutaminase as active ingredients

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectHydrolysis: Hydrolysis

Data Source

PatentEP2253229B1Method of producing fish paste product and enzyme preparation for fish paste products
Publication Date: 2011.11.30 AJINOMOTO CO INC

AI summary

In the process of producing a fish paste product, a difinite amount of a transglutaminase and ascorbic acid or a related compound thereof are added to material surimi. Thus, changes in the physical properties of kneaded fish paste with other ingridients nerimi can be suppressed during the process of producing a fish paste product and a fish paste product having a preferable firmness and elasticity can be obtained even in the case of reducing the amount of material surimi.