Both 3-(g-glutamyl) lysine
covalent bond and hydrophobic interactions might be enhanced
by addition of NFB calcium ion, consequently increased texture
values of surimi gels. Enhancement of gel texture was significantly
(p < 0.05) higher by NFB than MFB (Fig. 1). This was attributed to
higher free calcium ion concentration of NFB compared to that of
MFB. This might be due to the smaller particle size and larger
specific surface of NFB. MFB had a negative effect on surimi gel’s
microstructure due to its large particle size (Fig. 3), resulting in
weaker gels (Fig. 1). MFB, a relatively large particle, likely
disconnected myofibrillar protein’s gel network while NFB was
small enough to be imbedded finely without impeding the gel
network