Effects of cations on the gelling characteristics of fish mince with added nonionic and ionic gums

The effects of a mixture of added chloride salts (0–1% NaCl plus 0–1% KCl plus 0–1% CaCl2) on the gelling characteristics of blue whiting muscle containing nonionic (locust bean gum, guar gum) or ionic (xanthan gum, carboxymethylcellulose) gums were studied by response surface methodology and factor analysis (principal component analysis). The salts employed did not display any interaction effects altering the gelling properties of the different formulations; only sodium and calcium sometimes exhibited such effects, depending on the hydrocolloid used. The main trends in the variables tested revealed by principal component analysis showed that calcium yielded elastic gels with lower cohesiveness and higher lightness and that this same salt contributed to the factor(s) that explained the largest proportion of the variance. In contrast, addition of the monovalent salts had a lesser effect on the gelling properties, with intermediate concentrations resulting in the largest increases in the properties. No similar trends were observed with addition of the monovalent cation or the divalent cation or the hydrocolloid charge (nonionic or ionic gums).