The development of a process for the production of restructured fish from recovered fish mince : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Technology in Food Technology at Massey University

Abstract

Recovery of edible flesh by meat/bone separators The production of fish paste products such as Kamaboko (fish paste) and chukawa (fish sausage) is an ancient tradition in Japan, and it is only recently that the industry has developed into a mass production enterprise (Tanikawa 1963). To produce the quantity of boneless, ground fish required for this industry, the Japanese have developed a range of machines by which the material can be processed, and an appropriate technology to ensure quality standards are met. These developments have proved to be very successful, and the principles developed by the Japanese are now being adopted by a number of industries throughout the world. The success of the meat/bone separation machines is largely due to their versatility, and the high yields of edible fish flesh that can be recovered. Using this process most species of fish will yield 55% of edible material (King and Carver 1970), although flat fish may yield as little as 25% (Tanikawa 1963) and species such as Blue Marlin may yield up to 70% edible fish (King and Carver 1970).