1Graduate School of Agriculture, Kinki University, Nakamachi, Nara 631-8505, 2Graduate School of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Osaka Prefecture University, Sakai, Osaka 599-8531, Japan
We characterized the physical properties of commercial kamaboko, produced in various areas in Japan, by using a puncture test with 12 physical parameters. When measurement was conducted with a discoidal plunger of 0.3cm diameter, the distance of 0.7cm was required to avoid the effect of adjoining measurement marks. The effect of position for the measurement on the physical properties of the sample was studied. The vertical positions had a significant effect on the many physical parameters for all of the samples. However, the positions showing the highest physical properties were different among samples. On the other hand, samples of sliced pieces and horizontal positions for the measurement produced the effect for some of samples. The principal component analysis of the data demonstrated that the first component explained the general physical property of kamaboko at the breaking point in the puncture test, and the second component explained the physical property of kamaboko during the breaking process.