Effects of sorbitol on gelation and cross-linking of myosin heavy chain of salt-ground meat from walleye pollack

Walleye pollack surimi without any additives was ground with 2.5% NaCl, 0.3% sodium polyphosphate, and 0 ?? 8% sorbitol. The salt-ground meat was incubated at 20°C and 40°C for setting, and again at 90°C for 20min to prepare setting-heating gel. Breaking strength (BS) and breaking strain (bs) of the setting and setting-heating gels with the cross-linking of myosin heavy chain (HC) were investigated as a function of setting time.The values of BS and bs of the gels formed through setting with 0.8% sorbitol were higher than those of the gels formed by setting without sorbitol.During the setting at 20°C, cross-linked myosin HCs with small molecular sizes in the gels with 8% sorbitol were formed in a large quantity as compared with those in the gels without sorbitol. However, in the setting at 40°C, the increase of cross-linked myosin HC in the gels with 8% sorbitol was in a small quantity and was nearly identical to that of the gel without sorbitol.These results indicated that sorbitol in surimi affected the cross-linking of myosin HCs of the salt-ground meat and contributed to an improvement in gel formation of the meat.