Journal of Marine Biology

Washing is a critical step in the surimi production process, effectively removing water-soluble proteins, pigments, odors, and lipids from fish, thereby markedly improving the quality and shelf life of the surimi gel. However, the removal of lipids particularly unsaturated fatty acids may lead to diminished flavor, reduced nutritional value, and the development of undesirable off flavors in surimi gels. Direct addition of liquid oil to surimi can adversely affect protein cross-linking during thermal denaturation, resulting in reduced gel quality, a softer texture, lower water-holding capacity, and oil separation. In this context, emulsions have emerged as a promising strategy for incorporating oil into surimi, as they can enhance the stability and dispersion of liquid oil. This paper provides new insights into the heat-induced gelation mechanism of surimi, the relationship between liquid-oil emulsification and surimi gel forming ability, and the types of emulsions employed along with their stabilizers. Moreover, the effects of emulsion incorporation on surimi gel properties and the application potential of these emulsion-filled gels are comprehensively discussed. The findings indicate that adding emulsions to surimi gels can improve gel quality, strengthen functional properties, and reduce lipid oxidation, while also enhancing flavor and water-holding capacity.