When stored at 4 C for 24 h, syneresis of tofu prepared
with shell powder was significantly (p < 0.05) lower than
that of tofu prepared without shell powder (Fig. 1). Especially,
0.05% addition of shell powder showed more reduction
of syneresis than 0.1% and 0.2% addition. It is
generally accepted that syneresis in the protein gel during
storage is caused by an increased cross-linking among protein
molecules through various interactions, making the
protein gel matrix denser In addition
of shell powder, the decrease in syneresis could result from
enhanced water retention in the gel microstructure.