• Journal of Biosystems Engineering
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• v.39 no.4
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• pp.330-335
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• 2014

Purpose: This study was conducted for enhancing the performance of a conventional quick freezer by introducing the supercooling state, using a low-temperature coolant. Methods: In the present investigation, the supercooling process was executed prior to quick freezing for reducing the time by which the temperature passes the zone of maximum ice crystal formation. Every food has different nucleation points and hence, we used silicone oil as the coolant for supercooling for easy modification of temperature. Additionally, for quick freezing, we used liquid nitrogen spray. Results: Using the heat exchanger-type precooler with silicone oil, the temperature of the chamber was easily changed for enabling supercooling. Particularly, the results of the freezing test with garlic indicated that this system improved the hardness of garlic after it was thawed, compared to the conventional freezing method. Conclusions: Before quick freezing, if the food item is subjected to the supercooling state, the time from nucleation to the temperature reaching the frozen state ($-5^{\circ}C$, which is the maximum ice crystal formation zone) will be shorter than that incurred using quick freezing alone. The combination of the heat exchanger-type supercooler and liquid nitrogen sprayer is expected to serve as a promising technology for improving the physicochemical qualities of frozen foods.

• Journal of Biosystems Engineering
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• v.40 no.3
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• pp.261-270
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• 2015

Purpose: Cold storage is the most popular method used to preserve highly perishable foods such as beef and fish. However, at refrigeration temperatures, the shelf life of these foods is limited, and spoilage leads to massive food waste. Moreover, freezing significantly affects the food's properties. Ice crystallization and growth during freezing can cause irreversible textural damage to foods through volumetric expansion, moisture migration induced by osmotic pressure gradients, and concentration of solutes,which can lead to protein denaturation. Methods: Although freezing can preserve perishable foods for months, these disruptive changes decrease the consumer's perception of the food's quality. Therefore, the development and testing of new and improved cold storage technologies is a worthwhile pursuit. Results: The process of maintaining a food product in an unfrozen state below its equilibrium freezing temperature is known as supercooling. As supercooling has been shown to offer a considerable improvement over refrigeration for extending a perishable product's shelf life, implementation of supercooling in households and commercial refrigeration units would help diminish food waste. Conclusions: A commercially viable supercooling unit for all perishable food items is currently being developed and fabricated. Buildup of this technology will provide a meaningful improvement in the cold storage of perishable foods, and will have a significant impact on the refrigeration market as a whole.

• Food Science and Preservation
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.168-180
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• 2017

This study was performed to determine the rapid thawing method for reducing the thawing time of frozen pork loins and to examine the effects of supercooling on the microbiological, physicochemical, and sensory qualities of fresh and frozen-thawed pork during storage at -1.5, 4, and $15^{\circ}C$. Forced-air thawing at $4^{\circ}C$ was the most time-consuming process, whereas radio frequency thawing time was the shortest by dielectric heating. The supercooling storage temperature was chosen to be $-1.5^{\circ}C$ because microstructural damages were not observed in the pork sample after cooling at $-1.5^{\circ}C$ for 24 h. Fresh or frozen-thawed pork loins stored at $-1.5^{\circ}C$ had lower drip loss and total volatile base nitrogen, thiobarbituric acid-reactive substance, and Hunter b* levels than loins stored at 4 and $15^{\circ}C$. In addition, the least degree of increase in preexisting microorganisms counts of the fresh or frozen-thawed pork loin samples was obtained during supercooled storage at $-1.5^{\circ}C$. Sensory quality results of fresh and frozen-thawed pork loin samples stored at $-1.5^{\circ}C$ showed higher scores than the samples stored at 4 and $15^{\circ}C$. These data indicate that supercooling at $-1.5^{\circ}C$ in the meat processing industry would be effective for maintaining the quality of pork meats without ice crystal nucleation and formation.