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Cold-set binding is commonly used in meat processing for
‘restructuring’ of raw meat proteins into portions that can
be cooked and used in similar ways to fresh cuts of meat.
Preliminary trials with CSIRO, later modified into pilot trials at
commercial food processing facilities, identified alginates to
be effective ‘glue’ to bind seafood mince recovered from fish
waste into useable portions that could be ‘sliced and diced’.
Crumbing these restructured portions was found to protect
the flavour and texture of the final product when thawed
from frozen.
Low moisture extrusion technology is widely used in the food
sector to create products that range from breakfast cereals to
Dried product from sardine pet foods. Raw ingredients are shaped as they are cooked at
waste prior to new product temperatures of above 100°C.
Credit: Abubakary Saad Mbadjo
testing.
In trials with CSIRO, finfish and crabmeat mince were
A successful variation of this technology has also been applied processed at up to 120°C. The major challenge was the high
to crustaceans, where a finer mince of low-value Coral Prawns moisture content of seafood – initially about 80%, which
was mixed with larger ‘chunks’ of King Prawns to produce is higher than the usual 30% moisture of ingredients for
King Prawn cakes, which were sold in local supermarkets. low moisture extrusion. High moisture extrusion requires
Similarly a crab cake product, based on extracted crab meat extension of the length of the cooling dye (and hence longer
from seconds product, was also commercialised by Abacus cooling times). The best result was achieved from a trial using
Fisheries. Screw press technology was also trialled and was a mix of ‘waste’ fish protein that had been recovered through
found to have improved the texture of cooked and thawed improved separation processes, which was then pureed and
seafood meat. It effectively squeezes the liquid from the pre-mixed with other dry proteins to produce a seafood cake.
flesh, which, when concentrated and re-added, enhances the The final moisture content was 75% and the end product
flavour and texture of the meat for use in other products. achieved both a good texture and flavour.

Credit: Peter Atzemis

Crab cakes produced with mince extracted from second grade crab product. Credit: Andy Molyneux
Reformed finfish mince recovered from frames after filleting.
Reforming technologies
Whilst much more work is needed to refine the application of
Once seafood protein has been extracted from processed extrusion processes for seafood, the trials demonstrated that
frames, a variety of technologies can be used to reform it into different ways of mixing and cooling could possibly solve the
useable portions. production challenges.

INFOFISH International 3/2020 ● www.infofish.org