HYDROTHERMAL PROCESSING OF PACIFIC CHUM SALMON - EFFECTS ON TEXTURE AND IN-VITRO DIGESTIBILITY

Pacific chum salmon (Oncorhynchus keta) muscle was subjected to hydrothermal treatment (60-100C) for different time intervals (0-40 min). The texture of raw and heat treated muscles were determined using texture profile analysis. Hardness, cohesiveness, springiness (or elasticity), and chewiness of heat treated fish muscle were higher than those for raw muscle. Increase in time or temperature of treatment increased these textural attributes. However, softening of muscle, as indicated by the decrease in hardness, springiness and chewiness values, occurred with prolonged heating at higher temperatures (90-100C). Muscle cohesiveness was fairly unaffected hy processing temperatures. In-vitro digestibility of chum salmon muscle protein remained unaltered by thermal processing for the time-temperature combinations studied.