Effect of staged thawing assisted antifreeze protein on quality of repeatedly freeze-thawed minced pork

• Published in: Food control Vol. 159; p. 110292
• Main Authors: Zhou, Ying, Jing, Keyan, Jia, Chuankang, Mao, Rongrong, Zhang, Baoxue, Yang, Bin, Yuan, Ci, Qi, Jun, Xiong, Guoyuan, Zhang, Chunhui, Gao, Zhangguo, Xiong, Wei
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier Ltd 01.05.2024
• Subjects: Antifreeze protein; Freeze-thaw cycles; Freeze-thawed minced pork; Physico-chemical properties; Staged thawing; Staged thawing; Freeze-thawed minced pork; Antifreeze protein; Physico-chemical properties; Freeze-thaw cycles
• ISSN: 0956-7135; 1873-7129
• DOI: 10.1016/j.foodcont.2024.110292

The effects of thawing at 4 °C, 25 °C, 25/-1 °C (staged thawing) on the quality of minced pork added with 0.2% antifreeze protein (AFP) and without AFP were respectively assessed by investigating the total thawing time, material loss, water distribution and Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), color, microstructure, bacterial count, and lipid and protein oxidation of minced pork in the study. The results showed that the total thawing time of minced pork thawed at 25/-1 °C was significantly lower than that of thawed at 4 °C (P < 0.05). The material loss of the AFP sample thawed at 25/-1 °C was reduced. Meanwhile, the AFP samples thawed at 25/-1 °C appeared the shortest T22 relaxation time at the same F-T cycles, and inhibited the oxidation of lipid and protein, presenting the lowest malondialdehyde content and the highest the total sulfhydryl content, and restrained destruction of minced pork microstructure and slowed down the growth of microorganism during freeze-thaw cycles. Summarily, thawed at 25/-1 °C combined with 0.2% AFP addition emerged a tremendous potential to improve the quality of the repeatedly frozen-thawed pork. •AFP can inhibit ice crystal formation to protect integrity of muscle cell and tissue.•Staged thawing shorted the total thawing time of repeatedly F-T minced pork.•Staged thawing assisted AFP improved the WHC and microstructure of F-T pork.•Staged thawing assisted AFP inhibited protein and lipid oxidation and TVC growth.•Staged thawing assisted AFP was feasible to improve the quality of F-T pork.