THE EFFECTS OF CaCO3 CONCENTRATION AS A WHITENING AGENT ON THE PHYSICOCHEMICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF FROZEN SURIMI MADE FROM TILAPIA FISH (Oreochromis mossambicus)

Tilapia Fish (Oreochromis mossambicus) is a freshwater fish with high protein content (18,1%). The high protein content in tilapia fish can be applied for further processing. One of the ways to use tilapia fish is to be used as surimi products. Surimi is a fish product that use characteristic physicochemical protein miofibrilar that was found in flesh. Low temperatures is needed during the process of manufacture, storage, processing and distribution, so that the quality of the surimi can be kept. Surimi generally made from raw materials of marine fishes mostly having the white flesh. But, because of the decrease catches of marine fishes that used as main ingredient of surimi by the fishermen, tilapia fish is one of alternative substitute for basic surimi. Tilapia fish tends to have a darker color of flesh than sea fish. Color to the flesh of fish that used in production of surimi will affect the final color result of surimi itself. When surimi is dark-colored, it will affect the level of interest consumers to consume surimi itself. So in the research there are addition of CaCO3 as whitening agent in the process of production frozen surimi from tilapia fish (Oreochromis mossambicus) that the color could be accepted. The results of this research showed that the addition of CaCO3 with various concentrations decreased the gelation weight, emulsion capacity, emulsion stability, and foaming capacity. The results also showed that the greater the concentration of CaCO3, the emulsion capacity, emulsion stability, and foaming capacity decreased. While on other analyzes such as protein content, gelation weight, whiteness, and water holding capacity the results obtained were increased with the increased concentration of CaCO3 given. Overall, the addition of CaCO3 concentration had some effects on the physicochemical characteristic of the tilapia surimi (Oreochromis mossambicus) especially in proteins contained in surimi