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For years, various thawing technologies based on pressure, ultrasound, electromagnetic energy, and electric field energy have been actively investigated to minimize the amount of drip and reduce the quality deterioration of muscle foods during thawing. However, existing thawing technologies have limitations in practical applications due to their high costs and technical defects. Therefore, key factors of thawing technologies must be comprehensively analyzed, and their effects must be systematically evaluated by the quality indexes of muscle foods. In this review, the principles and key factors of thawing techniques are discussed, with an emphasis on combinations of thawing technologies. Furthermore, the application effects of thawing technologies in muscle foods are systematically evaluated from the viewpoints of eating quality and microbial and chemical stability. Finally, the disadvantages of the existing thawing technologies and the development prospects of tempering technologies are highlighted. This review can be highly instrumental in achieving more ideal thawing goals.

This study aimed to investigate the effects of a combination of acidic electrolyzed water (AEW) and modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) on the quality of jujube stored at 1 ± 0.5 • C for 40 days. Jujube was treated with AEW + MAP, AEW, and MAP, respectively, to identify an appropriate preservation method based on the changes of quality indicators, activities of antioxidant enzymes and nonenzymatic antioxidant systems, malondialdehyde (MDA) content, and cell membrane permeability. Results showed that the combined treatment maintained higher storage quality of jujube than the other three treatments. The combined treatment significantly suppressed softening, weight, and color loss and maintained total soluble solid and titratable acidity. Moreover, the combined treatment improved antioxidant capacity showing high levels of nonenzymatic antioxidant systems (ascorbic acid and 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl radical scavenging capacity), and the activities of antioxidant enzymes (ascorbate peroxidase, superoxide dismutase, and catalase). These effects remarkably suppressed the increase of MDA level and cell membrane permeability, thereby inhibiting oxidative damage and alleviating quality deterioration. Furthermore, kinetic model indicated that AEW + MAP decreased rate constant of quality deterioration. Principal component analysis also showed that AEW + MAP treatment alleviated quality deterioration, with higher comprehensive score than other treatments. In summary, AEW + MAP was an effective preservation method to maintain storage quality and delay postharvest senescence of jujube.

Myofibrillar protein (MP) endows muscle foods with texture and important functional properties, such as water‐holding capacity (WHC) and emulsifying and gel‐forming abilities. However, thawing deteriorates the physicochemical and structural properties of MPs, significantly affecting the WHC, texture, flavor, and nutritional value of muscle foods. Thawing‐induced physicochemical and structural changes in MPs need further investigation and consideration in the scientific development of muscle foods. In this study, we reviewed the literature for the thawing effects on the physicochemical and structural characters of MPs to identify potential associations between MPs and the quality of muscle‐based foods. Physicochemical and structural changes of MPs in muscle foods occur because of physical changes during thawing and microenvironmental changes, including heat transfer and phase transformation, moisture activation and migration, microbial activation, and alterations in pH and ionic strength. These changes are not only essential inducements for changes in spatial conformation, surface hydrophobicity, solubility, Ca2+‐ATPase activity, intermolecular interaction, gel properties, and emulsifying properties of MPs but also factors causing MP oxidation, characterized by thiols, carbonyl compounds, free amino groups, dityrosine content, cross‐linking, and MP aggregates. Additionally, the WHC, texture, flavor, and nutritional value of muscle foods are closely related to MPs. This review encourages additional work to explore the potential of tempering techniques, as well as the synergistic effects of traditional and innovative thawing technologies, in reducing the oxidation and denaturation of MPs and maintaining the quality of muscle foods.