Optimization of gelatin extraction from silver carp skin

Gelatin is an important multifunctional biopolymer, being the only protein widely used in foods, drugs and cosmetics; to improve elasticity, consistency, and stability. Although pork skin is still the most commonly used raw material for gelatin production, fish skin has been looked at as an alternative raw material, eliminating religious concerns shared by the Jewish and Muslim communities and providing an alternative way of using the waste from the fish processing industry. Silver carp, an Asian carp subspecies, accounts for over 2.5 % of the world’s total fish production with over 4 million tonnes annual production. The objective of this study was to optimize gelatin extraction from silver carp skin and to determine its textural, rheological, and sensory properties in comparison with commercially available gelatins from different sources. For the optimization part of the project, a two-step optimization procedure was used. First, those extraction parameters that significantly affect the quality of gelatin extracted were elucidated and second, the optimum levels of those parameters giving the best possible gelatin were determined. The optimum extraction conditions were 50 °C for water extraction with a 4:1 (v/w) water/skin rati