Abstract: In order to make more effective utilization of silver carp and upgrade its commercial value,the optimal processing conditions for silver carp surimi to reach maximum myosin heavy chain(MHC) cross-linkage and gel forming ability were investigated.Results showed that MHC cross-linkage in set process is remarkably affected by washing times,CaCl2 concentration,gelation incubation temperature and time.The optimal conditions for MHC cross-linkage are as follows:the washing times two;the concentration of additional CaCl2 0.2‰,gelation incubation temperature 35 ℃ and time 4 to 6 h.In addition,a significantly positive correlation between MHC cross-linkage and gel strength exists.Maximum increase in gel-breaking force can be obtained when the surimi is set under the optimal cross-linking conditions.The breaking force of kamaboko gel reaches 600 g when the surimi is set at 35 ℃ for 5 h,followed by a further heating at 85 ℃ for 30 min,while for the control sample,its gel-breaking force is only 170 g.

Key words: surimi, low temperature pretreatment, transglutaminase, silver carp, myosin, washing time