Effects of CaCl₂ on 3D Printing Quality of Low-Salt Surimi Gel

Abstract

In order to develop low-salt and healthy surimi products, we limited the amount of NaCl to 0.5 g/100 g in this work and studied the effect of CaCl2 (0, 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, and 2.0 g/100 g) on the 3D printing quality of low-salt surimi gel. The results of rheology and the 3D printing showed that the surimi gel with 1.5 g/100 g of CaCl2 added could squeeze smoothly from the nozzle and had good self-support and stability. The results of the chemical structure, chemical interaction, water distribution, and microstructure showed that adding 1.5 g/100 g of CaCl2 could enhance the water-holding capacity and mechanical strength (the gel strength, hardness, springiness, etc.) by forming an orderly and uniform three-dimensional network structure, which limited the mobility of the water and promoted the formation of hydrogen bonds. In this study, we successfully replaced part of the salt in surimi with CaCl2 and obtained a low-salt 3D product with good printing performance and sensory properties, which could provide theoretical support for the development of healthy and nutritious surimi products.

Keywords

• surimi gel
• 3D printing
• salt substitute
• gel property
• product quality