Effective washing conditions reduce water usage for surimi processing

Possible minimization of water usage for leaching was investigated by reduced water/meat (W/M) ratio with increased washing cycles (WQ and washing time (WT). Increased WT did not enhance removal of sarcoplasmic proteins once equilibrium was reached, while the increased WC continuously removed residual sarcoplasmic proteins from the mince. No significant loss of myoFibrillar proteins occurred at the low W/M ratio (2:1 or 1:1) regardless of WC and WT. Myosin heavy chain content, water retention, and whiteness of washed mince decreased when W/M ratio was reduced. Increasing WC and/or WT enhanced these properties but also resulted in a higher moisture content.