This study determined optimal drying temperature and time on the moisture content, hardness, and overall sensory acceptance of restructured jerky from sea rainbow trout frame muscle (RJ-SRTF) using response surface methodology. The optimal drying conditions with respect to the above variables were 67.2°C for drying temperature and 8.6 h for drying time. The predicted values of response optimal conditions were 18.8 g/100 g for moisture content, 495.8 g/cm2 for hardness, and a score of 7.2 for overall sensory acceptance. The actual values obtained in this experiment were 19.1±0.6 g/100 g for moisture content, 453.9±91.0 g/cm2 for hardness, and a score of 7.4±0.5 for overall sensory acceptance. Both actual and predicted values were nearly identical. In conclusion, the models are adequately fitted to experimental data and suitable for optimization.
Keywords: fish jerky; jerky; rainbow trout; rainbow trout frame; restructured jerky.