Taste panel assessment of textural properties of fish minces from Australian species

The relationship between taste panel scores for texture (toughness and moisture), flesh pH and salt extractable protein for sixteen Australian species of fish has been investigated using an approach outlined by Cowie & Little (1966, 1967) for frozen stored cod. By graphing their data, Cowie & Little (1967) showed that a line could be drawn which divided the results into those from samples with soft flesh and those from samples with tough flesh. This dividing line was found to fit the present data, accumulated in the course of a series of experiments on frozen stored minced fish flesh. This approach emphasizes the underlying relationship of toughness with pH and salt extractable protein.