What Are the Roles of Quick-Freeze Cold Storage in Food Preservation?

According to the warehouse temperature of cold storage, cold storages are roughly divided into the following types: high-temperature cold storage, constant-temperature cold storage, low-temperature cold storage, ultra-low-temperature cold storage, and quick-freezing storage, also known as freezing storage. Generally, quick-freezing storage is required for poultry meat, seafood, and aquatic products. To achieve the effect of pre-cooling in advance. Quick-freezing storage refers to a method in which food must reach a specified temperature within a specified time. The average temperature is -18°C for rapid freezing.

During the freezing process of food, various changes will occur, such as physical changes (changes in volume, thermal conductivity, specific heat, and dry weight loss), chemical changes (protein denaturation, color change, etc.), changes in cell tissue, and changes in organisms and microorganisms. The characteristic of rapidly frozen food is that it maximally maintains the original nutritional value, color, aroma, and taste of food.

That is to say, during the freezing process, it must be ensured that all the above-mentioned changes in food reach the maximum reversibility.

The role of quick-freezing storage in food preservation:
(1) Avoid the formation of large ice crystals between cells.
(2) Reduce the exudation of water from cells, and there is less loss of juice during thawing.
(3) The time for concentrated solutes inside cell tissues and food tissues, colloids, and various components to contact each other is significantly shortened, and the harmfulness of concentration is reduced to the minimum.
(4) Rapidly reduce food to a temperature below the growth and activity temperature of microorganisms, effectively resisting the growth of microorganisms and their biochemical reactions.
(5) The shorter the freezing time of food in freezing equipment, the more beneficial it is to improve the utilization rate and continuous production of equipment. Most foods begin to freeze when the temperature drops to -1°C. Between -1°C and -5°C, most ice crystals are generated. This stage is called the stage of maximum ice crystal generation. Rapid freezing can greatly shorten the freezing time of this stage, quickly remove this part of heat, and improve the quality of quick-frozen food.