Effects of distinct lipid phases and packaging on alleviating the quality deterioration of surimi gels during frozen storage

This study aimed to investigate the effects of packaging and fat type on the quality of surimi gels during frozen storage. Surimi gels fortified with fish oil (FO), lard oil (LO), and soybean oil (SO) were subjected to either polyethylene packaging or vacuum packaging (VP) and stored at −20 °C for 180 days. The results demonstrated that incorporating SO enhanced the gel strength, whiteness, and water-holding capacity, and reduced the water migration of the gel compared with those with LO and FO. Laser confocal microscopy analysis revealed that solid fat LO possessed larger fat particles and exhibited less aggregation within the surimi gels during frozen storage, as opposed to liquid lipids SO and FO, which led to greater hardness. Moreover, VP combined with the incorporation of LO exhibited a relatively optimum preservation of surimi gel quality during freezing, which is related to protein and lipid oxidation and lipid features. These findings suggest the combined influence of packaging and oil type on frozen surimi gels, offering a theoretical reference for improving the quality of frozen surimi and its derived products.