The effect of organic salts on the browning of dried squid products processed by air-drying

To control discoloration of dried Japanese common squid (Todarodes pacificus) product, influence of 0-1% organic salts, including sodium gluconate (Na-gluconate), sodium citrate (Na-citrate), sodium phytate (Na-phytate), sodium benzoate (Na-benzoate) and sodium tartrate (Na-tartrate), on Maillard browning in the squid meat during air-drying was investigated. Changes in surface color of the dried squid were mitigated by the addition of organic salts. Organic salts also showed inhibitory effects on autolysis and generation of free amino acids (FAAs), especially arginine, in both the dried squid meat and the model solution. Moreover, Maillard reaction degree of the dried squid was decreased by using organic salts. The addition of 1% Na-citrate or 1% Na-phytate well suppressed the browning of the dried squid (p < 0.05). The results indicated that organic salts having strong chelating ability, including Na-citrate and Na-phytate, can prevent the browning of the dried squid product by inhibiting the generation of FAAs.