Lean meat from fish or land animals is first separated or
minced. The meat then is rinsed numerous times to eliminate
undesirable odors. The result is beaten and pulverized to form a
gelatinous paste. Depending on the desired texture and flavor of
the surimi product, the gelatinous paste is mixed with differing
proportions of additives such as starch, egg white, salt,
vegetable oil, humectants, sorbitol, sugar, soy protein,
seasonings, and enhancers such as transglutaminases and
monosodium glutamate (MSG). If the surimi is to be packed and
frozen, food-grade cryoprotectants are added as preservatives
while the meat paste is being mixed Under most circumstances,
surimi is processed immediately into a formed and cured product.
Typically the resulting paste, depending on the type of fish and
whether it was rinsed in the production process, is tasteless
and must be flavored artificially. According to the USDA Food
Nutrient Database 16-1, fish surimi contains about 76% water,
15% protein, 6.85% carbohydrate, 0.9%