• Journal of the East Asian Society of Dietary Life
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• v.25 no.5
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• pp.893-901
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• 2015

This study investigated the effects of thawing conditions on physiological activities and quality of peeled garlic. Peeled frozen garlic was analyzed after thawing at low temperature ($4^{\circ}C$), room temperature ($20^{\circ}C$), tap water ($20^{\circ}C$), radio frequency of 27.12 MHz, and 2.45 GHz in a microwave. As a result, the time required to thaw garlic to $0^{\circ}C$ by various thawing methods was shortest at2.45 GHz in a microwave, followed by $20^{\circ}C$ tap water, radio frequency of 27.12 MHz, $20^{\circ}C$, and $4^{\circ}C$. Microwave thawing was faster than other methods, but it resulted in significant non-uniformity of heating. The hardness of peeled garlic significantly decreased upon freeze-thawing, whereas it showed improved hardness upon radio-frequency thawing. Total color difference in garlic increased upon freeze-thawing, and it was not improved by various thawing methods. Antioxidant activities were determined for DPPH radical scavenging ability, SOD-like activity, and reducing power. Total phenolic compounds and flavonoids in garlic extract were measured as $3.222{\pm}0.214{\mu}g$ GAE/g and $0.149{\pm}0.03{\mu}g$ QE/g, respectively. The content of total phenolic compounds was significantly reduced by 2.45 GHz microwave thawing ($1.90{\pm}0.02{\mu}g$ GAE/g); however, flavonoid contents were slightly reduced under freezing and thawing conditions. The DPPH radical scavenging ability of garlic extracts was not affected by thawing methods; however, SOD-like activity and reducing power were slightly reduced by freeze-thawing. These results indicate that physiological activities were not improved by radio-frequency thawing; however, thawing time and maintain hardness were reduced compared with conventional thawing methods.

• Journal of Biosystems Engineering
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• v.41 no.2
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• pp.108-115
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• 2016

Purpose: Radio frequency (RF) heating is a promising thawing method, but it frequently causes undesirable problems such as non-uniform heating. This can occur because of the food shape, component distribution, and initial temperature differences between food parts. In this study, RF heating was applied to the thawing of cylindrically shaped pork sirloin by changing the shape of electrodes and the surrounding temperature. Methods: Curved electrodes were utilized to increase the thawing uniformity of cylindrically shaped frozen meat. Pork sirloin in the shape of a half-circle column was frozen in a deep freezer at $-70^{\circ}C$ and then thawed by RF heating with flat and curved electrodes. In order to prevent fast defrosting of the food surface by heat transfer from air to the food, the temperature of the thawing chamber was varied by -5, -10, and $-20^{\circ}C$. The temperature values of the frozen pork sirloin during RF thawing were measured using fiber-optic thermo sensors. Results: After multiple applications of curved electrodes resembling the food shape, and a cooled chamber at $-20^{\circ}C$ the half-cylindrically shaped meat was thawed without surface burning, and the temperature values of each point were similarly increased. However, with the parallel electrode, the frozen meat was partially burned by RF heating and the temperature values of center were overheated. The uniform heating rate and heat transfer prevention from air to the food were crucial factors for RF thawing. In this study, these crucial factors were accomplished by using a curved electrode and lowering the chamber temperature. Conclusions: The curved shape of the electrode and the equipotential surface calculated from the modeling of the parallel capacitor showed the effect of uniform heating of cylindrically shaped frozen food. Moreover, the low chamber temperature was effective on the prevention of the surface burning during RF thawing.

• Food Engineering Progress
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.57-63
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• 2017

This study investigated the effects of 27.12 MHz radio frequency (RF) heating on heat transfer phenomena during the thawing process of frozen food. To determine the velocity of the RF thawing machine, samples were frozen at $-80^{\circ}C$ and subjected to different power treatments. The phase change times (-5 to $0^{\circ}C$) of frozen radish were 30, 26, 13, and 8 min; those of pork sirloin were 38, 25, 11, and 5 min; those of rump were 23, 17, 11, and 6 min; those of chicken breast were 42, 29, 13, and 9 min; and those of tuna were 25, 23, 10, and 5 min at 50, 100, 200, and 400 W, respectively. The heating limit temperatures of the radish, pork sirloin, rump, chicken breast, and tuna samples were 19.5, 9.2, 21.8, 8.8, and $16.8^{\circ}C$ at 50 W; 23.5, 15.5, 27.3, 12.3, and $19^{\circ}C$ at 100 W; 42, 26.9, 45.7, 22.1, and $39.4^{\circ}C$ at 200 W; and 48.5, 54.7, 63.6, 57.3, and $44.9^{\circ}C$ at 400 W. These results suggest that high-power RF improves thawing velocity and heating limit temperatures, and that an improvement on the operation of the RF thawing machine, according to food temperatures, is needed.

• 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.