Thawing of frozen tuna fish (Thunnus albacares) using still air method combined with a high voltage electrostatic field

Abstract

In this study, the application of high voltage electrostatic field (HVEF) is examined to improve the still air thawing of frozen tuna fish cubes. The experimental tuna cubes (2 × 4 × 4 cm3) were thawed under HVEF subjected to three different voltages from the corona wind onset voltage to breakdown voltage with electrode gaps of 3, 4.5, and 6 cm. The still air thawing without HVEF was applied in a controlled incubator at 20 °C. Thawing time and energy consumption of still air method with/without HVEF were determined. The results showed that thawing with HVEF significantly improves thawing time and energy consumption. In addition, results indicated that increasing voltage or decreasing electrode gap provide such advantages as lower thawing time and total specific energy consumption (SECtotal) in the still air method. This is while increasing applied voltage and decreasing electrode gap significantly decreases SEFtotal but increases SECEF in the HVEF system.