Changes in quality properties and tissue histology of lightly salted tuna meat subjected to multiple freeze-thaw cycles

Qingqing Jiang; Naho Nakazawa; Yaqin Hu; Kazufumi Osako; Emiko Okazaki

doi:10.1016/j.foodchem.2019.04.091

Changes in quality properties and tissue histology of lightly salted tuna meat subjected to multiple freeze-thaw cycles

Food Chem. 2019 Sep 30:293:178-186. doi: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2019.04.091. Epub 2019 Apr 25.

Authors

Qingqing Jiang¹, Naho Nakazawa¹, Yaqin Hu², Kazufumi Osako¹, Emiko Okazaki³

Affiliations

¹ Department of Food Science and Technology, Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology, Tokyo 108-8477, Japan.
² Department of Food Science and Nutrition, National Engineering Laboratory of Intelligent Food Technology and Equipment, Key Laboratory for Agro-Products Postharvest Handling of Ministry of Agriculture, Key Laboratory for Agro-Products Nutritional Evaluation of Ministry of Agriculture, Zhejiang Key Laboratory for Agro-Food Processing, Fuli Institute of Food Science, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China.
³ Department of Food Science and Technology, Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology, Tokyo 108-8477, Japan. Electronic address: eokazaki@kaiyodai.ac.jp.

PMID: 31151599
DOI: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2019.04.091

Abstract

The influence of various freeze-thaw cycles on the physicochemical and histological properties of lightly salted tuna meat was studied. Enhanced water-holding capacity and springiness were obtained in the salted samples even after repeated freezing-thawing, which was ascribed to the modifications in tissue microstructure, ice crystal morphology, and protein properties. Intracellular and spherical ice crystals were observed in the salted meat, rather than the extracellular and large ice columns in the unsalted counterparts. Proteins in the salted meat were more sensitive to the stresses imposed by freezing-thawing and would form hydrophobic interactions more readily. Excessive freeze-thaw cycles accelerated the discoloration of salted meat, probably due to the decreased oxidative stability by salt. The overall quality properties of lightly salted tuna meat could be better maintained when subjected to no more than three freeze-thaw cycles.

Keywords: Freezing-thawing; Ice crystal; Oxidative stability; Protein properties; Quality properties; Salt; Tissue microstructure.

MeSH terms

Animals
Fish Proteins / chemistry
Freezing
Hydrophobic and Hydrophilic Interactions
Meat / analysis*
Muscles / pathology*
Sodium Chloride / chemistry
Tuna

Substances

Fish Proteins
Sodium Chloride