Effects of Frozen Storage Conditions on Meat and Surimi Gel Properties of Hairtail

To study the changes of hairtail meat and its surimi under different frozen conditions. Fresh hairtails were stored at −7, −13, −18 and −23 ℃ for 15~120 d, respectively. And the physicochemical properties (carbonyl group, sulfhydryl group, Ca²⁺-ATPase activity, TBARS) of fish meat and the gel properties (color, gel strength, water holding capacity, microstructure) of surimi were determined at different stages. The results showed that with the extension of frozen time, the carbonyl content and TBARS value increased, while sulfhydryl content and Ca²⁺-ATPase activity decreased. For surimi gel, the color gradually deteriorated, and the water retention capacity gradually decreased. The lower frozen temperature, the smaller changes in each group. No spoilage occurred in the samples except the fish meat whose TBARS value was greater than 0.58 mg MDA/kg after being frozen at −7 ℃ for 60 d. After 120 d, the gel strength of surimi in four temperature groups decreased by 72.33%, 54.13%, 39.17% and 29.31%, respectively. SEM showed that the surimi had better three-dimensional network structure at lower frozen temperature. In conclusion, longer frozen time reduced the quality of hairtail meat and the gel properties of surimi, while lower temperature could inhibit the deterioration process.