Effects of freezing on cell structure of fresh cellular food materials: A review

Publication date: Available online 1 March 2018 Source:Trends in Food Science & Technology Author(s): Dongmei Li, Zhiwei Zhu, Da-Wen Sun Background Fresh cellular food materials including fruits and vegetables and animal tissues normally consist of fine organized cellular structures. Freezing is a common method to preserve the quality and safety of these cellular foods. However, the formation of ice crystals during food freezing may cause damage to the food microstructure, leading to the deterioration of food quality after thawing. Scope and approach This review offers current knowledge on freezing damage to cell structure of fresh cellular food materials. Effects of cell structure and water distribution on the texture and sensory properties of fresh cellular foods are presented. Mechanisms of cell structure damages caused by freezing are discussed. Novel methods to control the formation of ice crystals and preserve cell structures are also provided. Key findings and conclusions The quality of cellular foods after frozen-thawed is highly correlated with the integrity and viability of tissue cells. The formation of ice crystals, water migration and the inherent characteristics of cell structure are regarded as the main factors affecting the cell structure during freezing. For obtaining better quality of frozen products, further investigation and understanding on freezing damage to cell structure of fresh cellular foods is necessary. It is hoped that the current ...
Source: Trends in Food Science and Technology - Category: Food Science Source Type: research