Roles of Starch in Surimi Seafood: A Review

Surimi seafood is a cooked gel product that utilizes fish protein from surimi to produce seafood analog products. Starch is the second most important ingredient used in the manufacture of surimi seafood due to its water holding ability and capacity to partially replace fish proteins while maintaining desired gel characteristics at a reduced cost. Typically, starch is added to surimi seafood formulations at 4-12%. Functional properties of surimi seafood to control wetness, stickiness, and/or thermal stability upon different storage and serving temperatures have been extensively studied using modified starches. There is a great need to review the role of starches in various applications of surimi seafood.