Potential Use of Arrowtooth Flounder (Atherestes stomias) Protein as Edible Coating in Food Industry

Arrowtooth flounder is one of the largest and highly underutilized resources found in the Gulf of Alaska. It supplies enormous amounts of proteins only to be discarded due to a peculiar reason; the presence of endogenous proteolytic enzyme that turns the flesh mushy by breaking down the proteins in the tissue. Several researches have been done to minimize the effect of the enzyme only to achieve a limited success. Efforts have been attempted to incorporate the arrowtooth flounder in surimi manufacturing, although it has to be mixed with different fish like pollock to produce an acceptable surimi in the market. A new approach has been recently taken by some researchers to produce engineered fish protein powder from the underutilized arrowtooth flounder and use it as edible films and coatings on different food products. Different functional, nutritional and rheological properties of the arrowtooth flounder protein powders have been evaluated and products like fish protein mayonnaise have been successfully demonstrated. This review gives an in depth information of arrowtooth flounder protein’s potential to the food industry as a component of surimi and edible films, coatings and the properties of proteins applicable to the food industry