Dear John:
In today's practice, the surimi-based products are cooked, vacuum packed,
and steam-pasteurized. Unless extreme temperature abuse is done, the
products are generally safe under refrigeration unlike smoked or cured
products which are subjected to contamination during processing and packed
without a further heat treatment. So far, no known botulism has been
reported with surimi-based products as far as I know. Regarding lowering
water activity, two approaches that you may consider are the use of
humectants (water activity lowering agents) such as sorbitol, sugar and
salt, not phosphates. For being less sweet, sorbitol could be a better
choice than sugar. Depending on the type of product, sugar and salt can
be added more than what the formula calls for. The second approach is
simply lowering the moisture content by adding more starch or protein, or
any functionally compatible water absorbing ingredients. However, this
will sacrifice the sensory quality, texture and mouthfeel due to hardness
and dryness.
Chong M. Lee, Professor
Dept. of Food Science & Nutrition
University of Rhode Island
Kingston, RI 02881
Tel. 401-874-2862; Fax. 401-874-2994
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