Insight into the mechanism of pressure shift freezing on water mobility, microstructure, and rheological properties of grass carp surimi gel

This study found that using pressure shift freezing (PSF) treatment could suppress the decline in the quality of grass carp surimi gel during the conventional air freezing (CAF) process, and even improve the original properties of surimi gel. The surimi gel breaking force was about 2.5 times followed by PSF treatment (4.5 N) compared to the CAF group (1.8 N). The formation of small ice crystals in the PSF group reduced the mechanical damage to the sample structure compared to the large ice crystals formed in CAF groups. In addition, PSF treatment was found to be responsible for the change in protein and water mobility in surimi gel, which in turn positively influences the physicochemical properties of surimi gel. The output of this study revealed the significance of PSF technology in the surimi gel processing and meat processing industry. The development of new products and the use of new resources are very important in addressing the global food crisis and resource shortages. The application of PSF technology has also laid a foundation for freshwater surimi gel products to replace seawater surimi gel products.