Abstract
The aim of this work was to study the effect of adding sugar during proteolysis to promote the Maillard reaction and mask the initial fish odor and off-flavors generated. An experimental design, based on the Doehlert plan, was used to study the influence of hydrolysis conditions (time, temperature, sugar, and antioxidant addition) on the odor characteristics of hydrolysates, soluble protein levels, and amino acid content. Results showed that the lowest level of sugar (10 g of D-xylose added to 1 kg of by-products) was enough to develop a grilled odor in hydrolysates. In the hydrolysis conditions used—i.e., enzyme inactivation at 95°C for 30 min—hydrolysis temperature had no effect on grilled odor production but significantly affected the soluble protein fraction, as did hydrolysis time. Soluble protein content and essential amino acid content increased with the enzymatic reaction but were not modified by adding sugar. Hydrolysis conditions that promote Maillard reactions while keeping a nutritional balance have been identified.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
The authors are grateful to the sensory trained panel of IFREMER for their involvement in the training and evaluation sessions.