Method for producing surimi with reduced loss of myofibrillar protein

A method for washing fish flesh to remove water soluble sarcoplasmic proteins and reducing the loss of myofibrillar proteins from the fish flesh, comprising:

• producing a mixture by combining wash water with fish flesh having sarcoplasmic and myofibrillar proteins, wherein the wash water removes some of the sarcoplasmic proteins from the fish flesh;
• depositing the mixture on a screen separator, wherein the screen separator is a perforated screen surface configured to be stopped or advancing at one or more speeds in a travel direction to carry the mixture in the travel direction;
• separating wash water having sarcoplasmic proteins from the mixture while a speed of the screen separator and a speed of the mixture at the interface with the screen separator remain about equal which reduces or eliminates shear forces at the interface between the screen separator and the fish flesh and results in an increase in a percentage of myofibrillar protein retained in the fish flesh;
• maintaining the screen separator in a stopped position while the mixture is being deposited thereon while a level of the mixture is below a target;
• and
• advancing the screen separator from the stopped position when a level of the mixture on the screen separator reaches the target.

A method for washing fish flesh to remove water soluble sarcoplasmic proteins and reducing the loss of myofibrillar proteins from the fish flesh, comprising:

• producing a mixture by combining wash water with fish flesh having sarcoplasmic and myofibrillar proteins, wherein the wash water removes some of the sarcoplasmic proteins from the fish flesh;
• depositing the mixture on a screen separator, wherein the screen separator is a perforated screen surface configured to be stopped or advancing at one or more speeds in a travel direction to carry the mixture in the travel direction;
• separating wash water having sarcoplasmic proteins from the mixture while a speed of the screen separator and a speed of the mixture at the interface with the screen separator remain about equal which reduces or eliminates shear forces at the interface between the screen separator and the fish flesh and results in an increase in a percentage of myofibrillar protein retained in the fish flesh;
• and
• vibrating the screen in a vertical direction.