Sustainable reformulation of fish balls: effects of soy protein levels on physicochemical, structural, and sensory properties with konjac glucomannan

An otoshimi fish-ball, typically containing 70% fish mince, was reformulated by reducing the fish content to 50–30% and partially substituting it with 0–8.5% soy protein isolate (SPI) in the presence of deacetylated konjac glucomannan (KGM). This study aimed to elucidate the role of SPI in reconstructing the gel network of reduced-fish systems containing KGM, and its effects on physicochemical, rheological, structural and sensory properties. Increasing SPI levels decreased lightness () and promoted structural compactness. An increase in storage modulus (G′) indicated enhanced viscoelasticity associated with SPI-KGM network formation. At a low SPI level (4%), stronger hydrogen bonding contributed to a more porous microstructure, whereas further SPI addition increased hydrophobic interactions, resulting in a denser network. However, at 8.5% SPI, molecular interactions and viscoelasticity declined, suggesting phase separation, as supported by microstructural observations. Sensory evaluation showed no significant differences (p > 0.05) in physical attributes, while taste and aroma declined from 5.5% SPI onwards due to soy-related flavour notes. Overall, formulations containing 40–35% fish mince and 5.5–7% SPI represent a promising range for the development of fish balls with reduced fish content.

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