Development of Pangasius steaks by improved sous-vide technology and its process optimization.

The present study embarked on the objective of optimizing improved sous-vide processing condition for development of ready-to-cook Pangasius steaks with extended shelf-life using response surface methodology. For the development of improved sous-vide cooked product, Pangasius steaks were treated with additional hurdles in various combinations for optimization. Based on the study, suitable combination of chitosan and spices was selected which enhanced antimicrobial and oxidative stability of the product. The Box-Behnken experimental design with 15 trials per model was adopted for designing the experiment to know the effect of independent variables, namely chitosan concentration (X1), cooking time (X2) and cooking temperature (X3) on dependent variable i.e. TBARS value (Y1). From RSM generated model, the optimum condition for sous-vide processing of Pangasius steaks were 1.08% chitosan concentration, 70.93 °C of cooking temperature and 16.48 min for cooking time and predicted minimum value of multiple response optimal condition was Y = 0.855 mg MDA/Kg of fish. The high correlation coefficient (R2 = 0.975) between the model and the experimental data showed that the model was able to efficiently predict processing condition for development of sous-vide processed Pangasius steaks. This research may help the processing industries and Pangasius fish farmer as it provides an alternative low cost technology for the proper utilization of Pangasius.

Functionality of chitosan in batter formulations for coating of fish sticks: Effect on physicochemical quality.

Chitosan is a natural polymer having diverse applications in food industry. The present study was undertaken to evaluate chitosan as a hydrocolloid in batter composition in developing enrobed fish sticks with better functional properties and improved quality. Different concentrations of chitosan gel were made in acetic acid medium and incorporated into batter for making enrobed fish sticks. Coating parameters, fat uptake, oil reduction, chemical quality parameters, instrumental texture analysis and colour were studied. Addition of chitosan gel had a significant effect (P<0.05) on the coating pickup, adhesion degree and cooking yield of the product. Total volatile basic nitrogen, pH, lipid oxidation parameters like peroxide value and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances of par-fried fish sticks also showed significant differences. The oil reduction in par-fried samples were 36.84, 65.05, 73.83, 77.65% respectively for 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, 2.0% chitosan added samples. Addition of chitosan significantly reduced crispness, gumminess, Warner-Bratzler shear force and toughness (P<0.05) of the product. The study clearly demonstrated that the inclusion of chitosan at 1.0% in batter can improve functional and other quality aspects of enrobed products.