This study investigated the effects of vacuum impregnation (V) and atmospheric pressure impregnation (C) on the quality and microstructure of grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella) fillets during a 120 min brining period under 5.8% NaCl (w/v) and 4 °C. Vacuum impregnation significantly enhanced brining efficiency, achieving higher salt content (2.01%) and accelerated mass transfer kinetics, as evidenced by Peleg model parameters. Both treatments improved the water-holding capacity (WHC), increasing from 80.16% to 91.47% (C) and 89.92% (V), while reducing free water proportion. A microstructural analysis revealed a reduction in extracellular space in fillets, which further affected the fillet WHC and texture. Vacuum brining also mitigated lipid oxidation, yielding lower thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances (TBARSs: 0.237 mg MDA/kg). Texture analysis indicated reduced hardness and increased springiness/cohesiveness in fillets. Despite a slight decrease in lightness, vacuum-assisted brining preserved sensory quality and aligned with low-salt dietary trends. These findings underscore vacuum technology’s potential to optimize brining efficiency and product quality in industrial applications.

This study investigated the impact of four drying techniques—hot air drying (HAD), vacuum hot air drying (VFAD), microwave drying (MWD), and vacuum freeze-drying (VFD)—on the structural, physicochemical, and functional properties of scallop adductor muscles, a critical marine resource in the food industry. The results demonstrated that VFD optimally preserved the ultrastructural integrity of the tissue, maintaining its surface fibrous architecture and achieving a superior recovery ration (78%) and rehydration ration (186.5%) compared to HAD, VFAD, and MWD. While the zeta potential remained statistically invariant across methods, HAD induced the largest particle agglomeration, followed by MWD. Notably, VFD enhanced protein stability, increasing the sulfhydryl content by 163.2% and reducing carbonyl formation by 48.1% relative to HAD, whereas MWD had the opposite effect. Multispectral analyses revealed the severe disruption of protein secondary and tertiary structures after MWD, while VFD minimized conformational denaturation. Statistical modeling ranked the drying sensitivity parameters as follows: surface hydrophobicity > hardness> β-turn content > dityrosine crosslinking > transverse relaxation time T23. These findings underscore VFD as the optimal method for mitigating structural degradation and oxidative damage in scallop processing, providing actionable insights to enhance the technofunctional quality of shelf-stable scallop products.

By analyzing interfacial dynamics between soybean oil concentrations and soy protein isolate (SPI), this study established their impact on Pickering emulsion stability. Two optimal soy protein-based emulsions (EM60 with 60% oil phase; EM75 with 75%) were identified as lipid substitutes in silver carp surimi products. The results revealed that uniformly spherical droplets in EM60 enhanced interparticle interactions at emulsion interfaces. Compared to EM75 addition, EM60’s finely dispersed droplets improved gel network compactness in the surimi matrix. This increased water-holding capacity (WHC) by 12.037% and gel strength by 2414.168 g·mm. EM75 addition significantly enhanced gel whiteness by 0.8483 units (p < 0.05). It also demonstrated superior physical filling effects in sol state, reinforcing structural rigidity. As unsaturated lipids, soybean oil substitution for saturated fats (e.g., lard) contributes positively to human health. Pre-emulsified soybean oil yielded stronger structural rigidity in surimi sol than direct oil addition. Post-gelation, significant increases were observed in gel strength (+828.100 g·mm), WHC (+6.093%), and elasticity (+0.07 units). Collectively, SPI-based emulsions offer novel insights for healthy lipid substitution in surimi gels. They elucidate differential impact mechanisms on texture, WHC, whiteness, and microstructure. This provides theoretical guidance for developing premium healthy surimi products.

Haliotis discus hannai meat has a firm texture that makes it difficult to chew and swallow, so tenderizing is necessary. Ultrasonic treatment and papain enzyme processing are used to reduce the hardness of abalone meat. This study tests physicochemical indicators and protein changes to assess meat quality and protein alterations. The maximum reduction in hardness of raw meat reached 60.58%, while heat-treated abalone meat achieved 61.13%, with free water and bound water converting to immobile water. The L* value of the meat decreased, while the a* and b* values increased. In raw meat, the content of TCA-soluble peptides increased with increasing treatment intensity. However, in heat-treated meat, this peptide content decreased with rising temperature. Muscle fiber filament breaks and pore numbers increased. The BPB binding content showed a negative correlation with the percentage of α-helix. Total sulfhydryl and free amino groups in raw meat decrease with increasing treatment intensity; both parameters in cooked meat decrease with rising temperature. Changes in tertiary protein structure cause alterations in fluorescence intensity, with secondary structure shifting from α-helix to β-sheet conformation. The results suggested that ultrasonic and papain treatments can induce structural alterations in proteins. This leads to protein cleavage and depolymerization, collectively resulting in softening of abalone meat texture and redistribution of internal moisture. These processes result in softening of abalone meat and redistribution of internal moisture. This study provides a theoretical basis for developing abalone tenderizers.