ENZYMATIC HYDROLYSIS FOR VALUE ADDITION TO MECHANICALLY SEPARATED MEAT AND ITS INCLUSION IN BREADED FISH PRODUCTS

Abstract

Fish production and demand have been increasing worldwide. Along with this increase, fish processing generates waste, such as mechanically separated meat, which can be used for human consumption and in the production of protein hydrolysates. The objective of this work was to produce protein hydrolysate from Tambatinga hybrid fish (a cross between Colossoma macropomum (Tambaqui) and Piaractus brachypomus (Pirapitinga)) using mechanically separated meat (MSM) and papain enzyme, and to add these hydrolysates to breaded products. The hydrolysates were produced by combining enzyme concentration (2.0, 1.0, 0.66, 0.33, and 0.22%) and hydrolysis time (40 and 60 minutes). The obtained hydrolysates were characterized according to the degree of hydrolysis and percentage of free radical scavenging. Subsequently, breaded products were produced with three concentrations of the hydrolysate (7%, 10%, and 13%) and characterized according to their nutritional composition. Tambatinga mechanically separated meat (MSM) proved to be a promising raw material for obtaining protein hydrolysate. since approximately 20% of its composition consists of proteins. The percentage of free radical scavenging of the obtained hydrolysate was influenced by the reaction time and the enzyme concentration used. In this context, the incorporation of tambatinga protein hydrolysate into breaded products proved to be a viable alternative for enriching the product's protein content, contributing to the development of foods with higher nutritional value.