Abstract
Preservation of meat through freezing entails the use of low temperatures to extend a product’s shelf-life, mainly by reducing the rate of microbial spoilage and deterioration reactions. Characteristics of meat that are important to be preserve include tenderness, water holding capacity, color, and flavor. In general, freezing improves meat tenderness, but negatively impacts other quality attributes. The extent to which these attributes are affected depends on the ice crystalline size and distribution, which itself is governed by freezing rate and storage temperature and duration. Although novel technology has made it possible to mitigate the negative effects of freezing, the complex nature of muscle tissue makes it difficult to accurately and consistently predict outcome of meat quality following freezing. This review provides an overview of the current understanding of energy and heat transfer during freezing and its effect on meat quality. Furthermore, the review provides an overview of the current novel technologies utilized to improve the freezing process.
Highlights
Preserving food to extend its shelf-life has been practiced for several millennia
The scope of this review focuses on the perseveration of fresh meat products through the use of freezing, the effects of freezing on meat quality, and the technological advances that have been made to improve the quality of frozen meat products
Freezing of meat has been practiced for several millennia as a method of preservation
Summary
Food preservation involves altering the product’s inherent properties, mainly pH and water activity (Aw ), in order to inhibit the growth of pathogenic microorganisms, molds, and spores. Preservation techniques are used to control chemical reactions involved in deteriorating food products, such as lipolysis, lipid oxidation, and proteolysis [1]. An example where both intrinsic hurdles (pH and Aw ) are modified is during the processing of semidry and dry fermented meat products, in which the product is typically inoculated with a microbial culture to lower the pH, and subsequently dried (lowering Aw ) [2]. Before we discuss these topics, we must have a reasonable understanding of the process of freezing and crystallization behavior of water
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have