Low field NMR for quality monitoring of 3D printed surimi from cod by-products: Effects of the pH-shift method compared with conventional washing

Implementation of three-dimensional (3D) food printing and novel analytics can reduce food waste and increase utilization of seafood by-products. Low field nuclear magnetic resonance (LF-NMR) and chemometrics were used to investigate the printability and characteristics of surimi pastes from cod by-products as affected by different processing methods (the pH-shift method vs. conventional washing), addition of salt (0, 1.5, and 3%), length of cold storage (0, 4, and 7 days) until 3D printing, and steam cooking. The analysis revealed two to three water populations in the 3D printed samples. Increasing the salt concentration induced myofibrillar swelling in the conventionally prepared surimi, whereas a more salt-induced gelling effect was observed in the pH-shift processed surimi. Cooking had a decreasing effect on the T₂₁ relaxation time and its corresponding apparent population (A₂₁), corresponding to protein denaturation and water loss during cooking. Increasing the salt concentration to 3% had a protective effect towards water exchange between the A₂₁ and A₂₃ populations in the conventionally washed samples but more subtly in the pH-shift samples. Similar trends in relaxation parameters were observed after 4 and 7 days of storage, although the intermediate population A₂₂ seemed to be most affected by the storage. Overall LF-NMR was an effective quality monitoring tool for the physicochemical changes occurring in the 3D printed surimi. The analysis showed both advantages and disadvantages of the two processing methods. However, it can clearly be concluded that increasing the salt content had a stabilizing effect on the surimi, and printing of fresh raw materials is recommended.