Mass transfer kinetic and quality changes during high-pressure impregnation (HPI) of jumbo squid (dosidicus gigas) slices

Abstract

Jumbo squid is an important marine resource commercialized in Chile as well as American countries such as PerA, Mexico, and USA. In order to find the best conditions for prevention of squid meat degradation, this study presented the simultaneous application of high hydrostatic pressure and osmotic dehydration (high-pressure impregnation (HPI)) on jumbo squid (Dosidicus gigas) slices. Diffusion coefficients for both components water and solids are improved by the high-pressure processing. The pressures used were 100, 250, and 400 MPa for a 15 g/100 mL salt concentration for time intervals of 30 s. The mathematical expressions used for mass transfer simulations of both water and salt were those corresponding to Newton, Henderson and Pabis, Page, and Weibull models, where the Weibull model presented the best fitted to the experimental data for both components. As to quality parameters studied for texture profile analysis, the treatment at 250 MPa yielded on the samples a minimum hardness, whereas springiness, cohesiveness, and chewiness at 100-, 250-, and 400-MPa treatments presented statistical differences regarding unpressurized samples. The color parameters L* (lightness) increased; however, b* (yellowish) and a* (reddish) parameters decreased when increasing pressure level. This way, samples presented a brighter aspect and a mildly cooked appearance. The results presented in this study could support the potential of high hydrostatic pressure application as a technique novel for other compound impregnation under high pressure.