Effects of Rice Flour Milling Types and Addition Methods on Rheological and Sensory Properties of Surimi Products

쌀가루의 제분형태 및 첨가방법이 연제품의 물리적 및 관능적 특성에 미치는 영향

Surimi products are among the most prominent seafoods in Korea. Together with fish meat, wheat flour is a major ingredient in the preparation of surimi products. Rice flour, however, can be an effective ingredient in enhancing the rheological characteristics of surimi products. In this study, we evaluated the potential of rice flour as an agent to replace wheat flour in surimi products. The effects of rice flour milling types and addition methods on the rheological and sensory properties of surimi products were investigated. Among different addition methods, the surimi product containing non-treated rice flour showed better gel strength and sensory properties than products containing paste (1:1.3 rice flour/water, w/v) and steamed paste (steamed at $100^{\circ}C$ for 30 min). According to the gel strength results for surimi products with added roll-mill (40 mesh) and jet-mill (180 mesh) rice flours, the roll-mill rice flour shows good potential as a replacement for wheat flour. When considering gel strength and sensory properties, an effective amount of rice flour to add was 10-15% (w/w). In conclusion, the rheological and sensory properties of surimi products containing rice flour were comparable with those of a premium commercial surimi product. Therefore, rice flour might be an effective alternative to wheat flour for premium surimi products.