Biomolecular Strategies for Preparation of High Quality Surimi-Based Products

There exist two interesting phenomena in making seafood products from surimi. When salted surimi is kept at a constant low temperature $(4\~40^{\circ}C)$, its rheological properties change from sol to gel, which is called 'setting'. Seafood processors can exploit changes that occur during setting in preparation of surimibased products, because heating at high temperatures, after the pre-heating during the setting process, enhances the gel-strength of salted surimi. Contrarily, when salted surimi or low-temperature set gel is heated at moderate temperatures $(50\~70^{\circ}C)$, a deterioration of gel is observed. The phenomenon is termed 'modori'. In the modori temperature range, heat-stable cysteine proteinases such as cathepsin B, H, Land L-Iike hydrolyze the myosins responsible for gel-formation, resulting in gel weakening modori. This article reviews molecular events occurring during gel setting that improve the quality of surimi-based products, and inhibition of modori by applying proteinase inhibitors. Application of recombinant protein technology to surimi-based products is introduced and its prospects for practical use are discussed.