Kamaboko control gels (without ZnSO4 or ZnCl2) displayed are latively loose protein
gel matrix with larger voids,compared with gels added with ZnSO4 or ZnCl2 at a level of 60 mmol/kg. Gels incorporated with 60 mmol/kg ZnSO4 had slightly more compact, finer and higher interconnected protein network,compared with that containing ZnCl2 at the same concentration. This was in agreement with the higher breaking force with superior water holding capacity of the former gel.The finer and ordered gel network with smaller voids was observed in gels
with the higher gel strength,whilst the looser network with larger voids was formed in the gels with lower gel strength. When ZnSO4 or ZnCl2 at a level of 80 mmol/kg was incorporated,a coarser particulate network containing coagulated or precipitated proteins arranged in random clusters was developed(Fig. 4). This was due to the rapid coagulation and precipitation of proteins at high zinc concentration.This was associated with the poor gel property with low water holding capacity,as evidenced by very low breaking force and deformation along with very high expressible moisture content.Thus,the addition of zinc salts,especially ZnSO4, at 60 mmol/kg concentration resulted in the formation of fine and ordered filamentous gel network
(Fig. 4), thus improving gel strength and water holding capacity.