Objective Quality Evaluation of Commercial Spicy Pollack Roe Products in Terms of Mechanical and Biochemical Properties.

In order to identify objective parameters for quality evaluation, physical dimensions, pH, color parameters, proximate composition, water activity, lipid oxidation, free amino acids, mechanical properties, protein composition and differential scanning calorimetry of commercial Japanese spicy pollack roe products of differing quality were analyzed. Low-priced roe products showed significantly higher (p < 0.05) average thiobarbituric acid reactive substances content than high-priced roe products from the same company. More bitter amino acids were detected in the low-priced, compared to the high-priced roe products from the same company. Ovary membrane and eggshell proteins in low-priced roe products were comprised of a relatively greater amount of low-molecular-weight components. Compared to low-priced roe products, high-priced ones showed higher values for the mechanical properties and thermal transition enthalpy of fish egg. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]