Nagasaki Prefectural Institute of Fisheries, Nagasaki, Nagasaki 851-2213, Japan
In order to improve the thermal gel forming ability of squid, sodium gluconate (Na-gluconate) was added to salted meat paste. Its effect on the gel properties was compared with those of sodium chloride or sorbitol. Breaking strength for the gel with Na-gluconate showed high breaking force when heated at 90°C for 30min directly. Its effect was also detected with two-step thermal gel. No cross-linking of myosin heavy chain (HC) was detected, and autolysis was obvious during the preheating. Na-gluconate strongly suppressed the autolysis. There was a positive correlation between HC content and breaking strength. It is therefore inferred that high gel strength with Na-gluconate-added gel was caused by the inhibitory effect of Na-gluconate on autolysis.