Rheological properties of washed and unwashed tilapia (Oreochromis mossambicus) fish meat: effect of sucrose and sorbitol.

In the present study, the dynamic viscoelastic behavior (DVB) and flow behavior of fresh tilapia (Oreochromis mossambicus) meat containing cryoprotectants were evaluated with and without water washing. The DVB profile of washed meat with 4% sucrose and sorbitol indicated the maximum structure buildup reaction up to 56.8 °C; thereafter, hydrophobic interactions leading to decreased gelation were suppressed. In both the samples, there was no clear indication of the sol-gel transition temperature. In flow-profile measurements, the presence of cryoprotectants gave rise to the minimum thixotropic area, indicating a low level of impairment in structure. The shear-stress sweep of water-washed tilapia proteins added with cryoprotectants did not reveal significant changes at 28 and 40 °C. In texture-profile analysis, the hardness values were lower in fresh meat than cooked meat. The findings of this study will be helpful in the formulation and design of various mince-based products and in determining the appropriate use of cryoprotectants and water washing in the processing of minced meat.