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8.0 PROCESSING DIFFERENT SPECIES

8.8 ARTIFICIAL CAVIARS

Popularity, high prices and growing demand for caviar type products as well as uneven distribution of world roe resources stimulated food scientists and engineers to develop caviar imitations. This 'caviar imitation' rush started in the USA and Germany at the turn of the century, but was never successful. The marketing success of artificial crab legs (kamaboko) made of surimi, confirms that when the imitation product is processed from natural fish ingredients and the texture, taste, appearance and chemical composi-tion are close enough to the original consumers will accept it if the price is right.

During the last 10 years artificial caviar technologies emerged in Spain, Soviet Union, Japan and Israel. The aim was to imitate the two most valuable caviar types - sturgeon and salmon. The technological processes involved are often claimed to be novel and are patented. However, they are based on well known particle or globule forming and en-capsulation principles used in the food and pharmaceutical industries. This trend corre-sponds to the general prediction of scientists, that towards the end of the century human rations will contain up to 25% of meat, fish and milk substitutes.

One of the traditional Spanish products, spanning over two thousand years, is sun-dried grey mullet ovaries. The caviar produced by Hi-tech machinery in modem Spain is called "Mujjol Shikran" ('Mujjol' stands for Mullet) and is sold under the trade name "Eurocaviar". It contains about 40% grey mullet eggs. Other ingredients are herring and salmon eggs. Both frozen and fresh roe are utilized. Total yearly production approaches 100 tons with 25% being exported.

The technological steps are mixing the ingredients into a paste, adding gelatine, adjust-ing viscosity, forming ball like particles (2-3 mm size) by means of a multinozzle ma-chine, infrared thermotreatment, curing in flavoured brine, drying to specification, pack-ing and pasteurization. This product has two specific properties. Firstly, the absence of artificial dyes, as the grey-blackish colour is achieved naturally when the particles are thermotreated. Secondly, the product withstands 100°C and can be used in recipes that require caviar to be cooked.

In Russia two types of artificial caviars are processed on an industrial scale. The trade names are: 'granular red caviar'/ and 'protein caviar'. The products are consumed within the country. The 'granular red caviar' is made of salted fish roe and milts, vegetable or fish oil, agar or gelatine, flavouring substances and carotenoids. It contains up to 10% protein and 20% fat. If pasteurized it can be stored at -2 to -4°C up to 3 months, otherwise its shelf life is only 15 days.

The technological process flow-chart is shown on Figure 8-15. The globules formed look similar to natural salmon eggs.

FIGURE 8-15

IMMITATION RED CAVIAR (RUSSIA)

Globule (droplet) formation takes place when the pulsating oil j'et strikes the flowing hot emulsion which constitutes the globule interior. Encapsulation follows when those emulsion-fat droplets fall into a cold solution and a film is formed around the droplet.
The 'protein caviar' does not utilize ingredients of fish origin. It is the ultimate 'artificial caviar'. It uses casein, a variety of modified proteins, chicken egg yolk, gelatin, tannic substances, artificial flavours and dyes.

In Japan the trade name for artificial salmon caviar is 'Imitation Ikura'. The manufac-turer claims a refrigerated shelf life up to 6 months that the product can be consumed with hot dishes.

The technological process flow-chart diagram is shown on Figure 8-16. The size, taste and colour of each capsule, which has a perfectly round shape can be regulated to pro-duce imitation 'salmon' or 'sturgeon' (artificial) caviar.

FIGURE 8-16

IMMITATION CAVIAR (JAPAN)

Sugar and calcium salt instead of sodium salt are used. Visually the capsules look amaz-ingly similar to salmon eggs having a distinctive oily core inside each 'egg'. This tech-nology is ready to provide artificial caviars on a large industrial scale. Apparently, the market does not exist yet.

In Israel artificial caviar is called 'Kosher Caviar', to stress that it is suitable for con-sumption by observant Jews, who do not consider scaleless sturgeon to be edible fish. The low calorie sturgeon-imitation caviar utilizes fish, vegetable oil and other natural ingredients. Artificial colouring is not used. Declared shelflife at refrigerated tem-peratures is 5 months. Dyed lumpfish caviar and imitation caviar are shown on Figure 8-17.

FIGURE 8-17: Dyed Lumpfish and Imitation Caviar