The Zein‐Pectin Stabilized Pickering Emulsion Improves the Gel Quality of Surimi

ABSTRACT Pickering emulsions stabilized by zein‐pectin complexes were prepared at different mass ratios (5:0, 0:5, 5:3, 5:4, 5:5) to investigate their effects on emulsion characteristics. The impact of these emulsions as fish oil substitutes on the gel quality of golden threadfin bream surimi was subsequently evaluated. The experimental results demonstrated that the particle size, zeta potential, and emulsion stability all achieved optimal performance at a zein‐pectin mass ratio of 5:4. When the Pickering emulsion completely replaced fish oil, the surimi gel exhibited superior properties: gel strength (351.96 g·cm), hardness (1926.09 g), and whiteness (71.10). Microstructural analysis revealed that the Pickering emulsion distributed uniformly as fine oil droplets within the protein network of the surimi gel, without causing the oil droplet aggregation observed with direct fish oil addition. Importantly, the emulsion incorporation maintained the integrity of the gel network structure while enhancing gel properties. These findings indicate that the Pickering emulsion not only strengthens the gel characteristics of surimi but also improves its color and compensates for lipid loss.