Effects of different sugar alcohols on storage quality of dried shredded squid

ObjectiveIn order to provide reference for application of sugar alcohols in dried aquatic products,ef-fects of three kinds of sugar alcohols on the storage quality of dried shredded squid were studied,and the optimal additive amount was selected.MethodDried shredded squid were prepared with the same proportion(10%)of sugar alcohols (sorbitol,xylitol and maltol),stored at 25℃for 35 d. Storage indexes(moisture content,water activity,pH,total bacte-rial count and sensory evaluation)were investigated to analyze the effects of sugar alcohols on storage quality of dried shredded squid,and determine the optimal sugar alcohol,whose dose-effects(0,5%,10%,15% and 20%)on the storage index were also studied.ResultSorbitol,maltitol and xylitol all effectively delayed the loss of water in dried squid thread and improved the texture of the products. The water-holding capacity was as follows:maltitol>sorbitol>xylitol,wa-ter activity-reducing ability and total bacterial count-decreasing ability:sorbitol>xylitol>maltitol. In summary,sorbitol showed the optimal effects in reducing the loss of water during storage,and decreased the maximum total bacterial count, and the dried shredded squid prepared with sorbitol had the best sensory quality during storage. With the amount of sorbi-tol increasing,the water retention effects on dried shredded squid enhanced and water activity decreased. The pH value fluctuated slightly,showing a relatively stable trend. Taking indices into account,dried shredded squid added with 10% sorbitol had the best quality when stored at 25℃for 35 d. The water loss rate was 10.84%,water activity 0.648 and total bacterial count decreased 4.84 lg(CFU/g)compared with squid without sugar alcohols,which was the largest reduction.ConclusionWhen the mass ratio of squid steamed slices to sorbitol is 10:1 in the process of producing dried shredded squid,it can effectively postpone the water loss,reduce the water activity and inhibit the growth of microorganism during storage,and textual properties and quality of dried shredded squid can be improved significantly. The formula in this study can be applied in the actual production.