Effects of High-Voltage Electric Field Process Parameters on the Water-Holding Capacity of Frozen Beef during Thawing Process

Abstract

In order to investigate the thawing time and water-holding capacity under high-voltage electric field (HVEF), we studied the thawing experiments of frozen beef in a multiple needles-to-plate electrode system. The electric field, thawing characteristics, and quality parameters during the thawing process were measured. The results showed that compared with the control, the thawing time of beef under HVEF was significantly shortened, the thawing rate increased significantly, the drip loss decreased, and the centrifugal loss increased during the thawing process. By the response surface analysis and single-factor analysis of variance, the best thawing conditions for each thawing parameter were determined. It provides a theoretical basis and practical guidance for understanding the characteristic parameters of the high-voltage electric field thawing technology.