Rheological properties and structural changes in raw and cooked abalone meat

SUMMARY: In a study of the relationship between structural changes and rheological parameters of raw and cooked abalone meat, abalone Haliotis discus was cooked in boiling water for 3 h, then cut up and separated into cross- and vertical sections. Structural change was observed using a light microscope and scanning electron micrography. The rheological parameters were obtained by stress-relaxation experiments. Microscopic photography revealed that structural change between muscle fibers in both sections of the cooked meat was greater than that in the raw meat. The elastic modulus and rupture strength in both sections of cooked meat showed no difference between the cross- and vertical sections, and were smaller than those for the raw meat. The relaxation time for the cooked meat was also greater than for the raw meat. These results were mainly because of collagen being gelatinized during heating. These changes were also observed by staining collagen and differential scanning calorimetry.