Abstract
Cutoffs from Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) processing are optimal raw materials for producing ready-to-eat surimi products due to their high nutritional value. Three-dimensional food printing is a promising tool for producing unique food gel matrices, such as surimi. Surimi commonly involves cryoprotective additives such as sugar, sorbitol, or salt, whose consumption should be limited due to the potential health risks involved. The effect of exchanging a sucrose-based commercial cryoprotective additive for D-allulose or cod fish protein hydrolysates (FPH) was thus investigated in cod mince surimi prepared with two common surimi preparation methods (conventional washing/CW and the pH-shift method/PS). Assessment of 3D printability, gel, and texture characteristics showed similar performance for surimi containing D-allulose and the commercial cryoprotectant using both preparation methods (CW and PS), indicating that D-allulose is a healthier alternative to using commercial cryoprotectants. Heat-induced water protein denaturation and water loss, as assessed by WHC, cooking loss, and LF-NMR, were observed during cooking, especially in the FPH-added formulations, indicating that FPH was not a viable cryoprotectant substitution. LF-NMR was furthermore shown to be an excellent tool to assess the gelling and texture characteristics and printability of the surimi mince.