Effect of κ-carrageenan on the quality of crayfish surimi gels

The demand for crayfish surimi products has grown recently due to its high protein content. This study examined the effects of varying κ-carrageenan (CAR) and crayfish surimi (CSM) concentrations on the gelling properties of CAR-CSM composite gel and its intrinsic formation process. Our findings demonstrated that with the increasing concentration of carrageenan, the quality of CAR-CSM exhibited rising trend followed by subsequently fall. Based on the textural qualities, the highest quality CAR-CSM was achieved at 0.3% carrageenan addition. With the exception of chewiness, and the cooking loss of the gel system was 1.62%, whiteness was 82.35%, and the percentage of β-sheets increased to 57.18%. Further increase in CAR (0.4-0.5%) addition resulted in internal build-up of LCAR-CSM, conversion of intermolecular forces into disulfide bonds and gel breakage. This study exudes timely recommendations for extending the CAR application for the continuous development of crayfish surimi and its derivatives and its overall economic worth.