Effects of pulsed electric field (PEF) and oscillating magnetic field (OMF) combination technology on the extension of supercooling for chicken breasts

Abstract

In this study, a pulsed electric field (PEF) and an oscillating magnetic field (OMF) were used to achieve an extension of a supercooled state within chicken breasts. The specifications of protocol are: (i) PEF with duty cycle sequence of 0.8, 0.5, and 0.2 were applied for 300 sec, 120 sec, and 90 sec, respectively and (ii) during PEF with duty cycle of 0.2, OMF with 1 Hz was applied to vibrate water molecules and inhibit sudden ice nucleation. At the freezer temperature of-7°C (± 0.5), temperature of chicken breast samples under PEF and OMF treatment decreased down to-6.5°C in a supercooling state during the whole testing period (approximately 12 h); while the control samples were partially frozen down to-6.5°C. The impacts of the supercooling on microstructure, drip loss, color, texture, pH and lipid oxidation were evaluated as compared with samples stored at refrigeration (4°C) and at freezing (-7°C). It was found that the PEF + OMF supercooling was highly effective in the maintenance of original meat qualities without significant physical damages or chemical changes. The supercooling of meat samples using the developed PEF and OMF combination technique led to the advanced designing of innovative food freezers for long term preservation of 'fresh-like' foods at subzero temperature.

Integration of Emerging Biomedical Technologies in Meat Processing to Improve Meat Safety and Quality

“…The frozen control samples showed significant microstructure damage, which could be attributed to ice crystal formation. This correlated with the OMF‐PEF‐treated samples having the same or similar drip loss, shear force, and lipid oxidation qualities as fresh chicken tissue (Mok et al., ).…”

“…Transmembrane pore formation caused by pulsed electric field (PEF) techniques can allow researchers to transgenically modify cells, selectively target cancer cells for destruction, and sterilize surfaces and liquids (Cabuy, ; Calvet, Famin, André, & Mir, ; Nakamura & Funahashi, ; Saulis, ). Additionally, static and pulsed electric fields can decrease cooling times and reduce ice nucleation damage in cell membranes (Dalvi‐Isfahan, Hamdami, & Le‐Bail, ; Mok, Her, Kang, Hoptowit, & Jun, ). As an anticancer technique, PEF can either be used alone or in combination with anticancer medications.…”

“…However, it is also argued that freezing damage is not caused by the crystals themselves, but the removal of the liquid phase when the liquid freezes, which concentrates solutes and increases hypertonicity in the cell (Pegg, ). In either case, it is clear that freezing damages cells (Dalvi‐Isfahan, Hamdami, Xanthakis, & Le‐Bail, ; Mok et al., ). Supercooling techniques are designed to lower the temperature of liquids below their melting point without the formation of ice crystals.…”

“…Alternatively, nucleation can be controlled to create smaller, more numerous crystals which cause less mechanical damage to the cells. These techniques allow meat to be preserved by limiting bacterial growth and enzymatic activity, while not damaging the meat tissue through ice crystal nucleation (Dalvi‐Isfahan et al., ; Mok et al., ). Supercooling can be performed using pressure shifts, ultrasound, and antifreezing agents (Mok et al., ).…”

“…These techniques allow meat to be preserved by limiting bacterial growth and enzymatic activity, while not damaging the meat tissue through ice crystal nucleation (Dalvi‐Isfahan et al., ; Mok et al., ). Supercooling can be performed using pressure shifts, ultrasound, and antifreezing agents (Mok et al., ). However, these techniques can also damage the meat and the use of antifreezing agents as meat cyropreservatives generally elicit negative consumer perception due to toxicity from repeated exposure.…”