Effects of Flaxseed Gum on Gelation Properties of Low‐Salt Carp ( Cyprinus Carpio ) Surimi

ABSTRACT Excessive consumption of salt poses a threat to human health. While salt is essential for developing quality characteristics in surimi, directly reducing salt content negatively affects surimi products quality. This study investigated, for the first time, the effects of different flaxseed gum (FG) additions (0, 0.1%, 0.2%, 0.3%, 0.4%) on low‐salt carp surimi (0.9% NaCl), aiming to reduce salt content while maintaining product quality. The results demonstrated that compared to the low‐salt group, 0.3% FG incorporation enhanced gel strength from 22 to 33 N, improved water holding capacity (WHC) from 66% to 73%, and reduced weight loss from 12% to 9% ( p < 0.05). A significant increase in immobile water proportion was observed along with a corresponding decrease in free water proportion ( P < 0.05). The enhanced storage modulus (G') indicated improved gel elasticity. FG addition promoted secondary structure transition from α‐helix to β‐turn. Microstructural analysis revealed that low‐salt surimi became increasingly homogeneous with FG content increasing from 0.1% to 0.4%, with the optimal 0.3% FG concentration showing the lowest porosity (31.929%). These findings support the utilization of FG in low‐salt freshwater fish surimi production.