Improving the Texture of Shrimp Nugget Produced from Surimi in Combination with Carrageenan, Alginate and Xanthan

Introduction Consumption of ready-to-eat products especially seafood, has become very popular based on the lifestyle during these years. Battered and breaded products are highly acceptable due to their attractive appearance and unique taste. Shrimp and shrimp products are one of the most popular seafood products in many countries because of their unique flavor, nutritional value and texture. The interactions of proteins with other ingredients can play a critical role in the structure of processed foods. Protein-polysaccharide interactions provide functional properties in foods especially when proteins are the main ingredients, such as processed shrimp products without affecting the original flavor of the food. The use of gelling properties of carbohydrates in the formulation of food products is increasingly growing. The wide variety of hydrocolloids have been examined to modify the mechanical, textural and functional properties of shrimp products. In this regard, application of carrageenan, xanthan, and alginate have been reported to improve the physicochemical and sensory attributes of shrimp products. In the present study, surimi was produced and used in combination with different percentages of carrageenan, alginate and xanthan gums in order to simulate breaded shrimp and produce shrimp nuggets with a texture similar to battered and breaded shrimp. Materials and Methods In the first step, surimi was prepared from silver carp fillets. In the next step, shrimp nuggets were produced from obtained surimi in combination with additives (including starch, salt, garlic, and spices) and different percentages (0.5, 1, 1.5 and 2% ) of carrageenan, alginate and xanthan gums. The prepared mixture was kept at 35 °C for 1 hour and then battered and breaded after molding. Physical (expressible water, product yield, and shrinkage), chemical (moisture, fat, and pH), color, texture, and sensory analysis were performed on several samples of shrimp nuggets (containing different percentages of carrageenan, alginate, and xanthan gums) in comparison with the control sample (battered and breaded shrimp immersed in salt and polyphosphate). Results and Discussion Based on the results, the amount of shrinkage decreased in all samples containing gums in comparison with the control (p < 0.05). Shrimp nuggets containing xanthan and alginate showed a lower amount of fat in comparison with the control and the samples containing carrageenan (p < 0.05). The highest amount of pH value observed in the control sample, and the sample containing 1.5 and 2 % alginate showed the lowest amounts of pH. The shrimp nuggets containing 2 % alginate demonstrated the highest amounts of water holding capacity.However, the other samples did not show significant differences with the control (p > 0.05). There were no significant differences between the control and shrimp nuggets containing gums in terms of product yield (p > 0.05). Shrimp nuggets containing 2 % xanthan and the control showed the highest and lowest amounts of brightness, respectively. The highest value of adhesion observed in shrimp nuggets containing 2 % alginate and the control.The lowest amounts of adhesion were observed in shrimp nuggets containing 2 % xanthan, 0.5 % alginate, 1 and 2 % carrageenan (p < 0.05). Samples containing 1% carrageenan showed the highest scores of the sensory attributes of taste, smell, texture and overall acceptance, as same as the control (p ˃ 0.05). Conclusion Hydrocolloid additions were found to be significantly affecting the quality parameters including fat content, pH value, shrinkage and texture of produced shrimp nuggets. Therefore, it seems that producing shrimp nuggets containing 1 % carrageenan showed the nearest physical, chemical, and sensory characteristics to the control (battered and breaded shrimp), and this sample can be used as alternative of battered and breaded shrimp.