Transport phenomena and their effect on microstructure of frozen fruits and vegetables
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Date
2020-09-19
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Trends in Food Science and Technology
Abstract
Background: Fresh fruits and vegetables have a short shelf life. Freezing offers a solution to their long-term
preservation. However, transport phenomena during freezing of fruits and vegetables pose significant changes in
microstructure, affecting quality stability, shelf-life extension, and market value. Therefore, information on the
microstructure of frozen fruits and vegetables is very critical for process design and quality control.
Scope and approach: In this review, transport phenomena and their effect on the microstructure of frozen fruits
and vegetables are considered at the cell level. The effect of cell structure, freezing rates, and heat and mass
transfer characteristics on the texture of cellular tissues are presented. Emerging techniques for controlling ice
crystal growth are also discussed.
Key findings and conclusions: The quality of frozen fruits and vegetables is hinged on the microstructure stability,
which is highly dependent on phase change processes and the size of ice crystals. The proportion and characteristics
of cellular water, heat and mass transfer parameters, freezing rate and thermal property of cells are
considered as the main drivers for moisture migration and ice crystal formation. To produce frozen fruits and
vegetables with high quality, more insightful study and accurate understanding of transport phenomena in
cellular space and their corresponding effects on the microstructure is necessary. It is hoped that this review
should provide critical information on preserving the microstructure and quality of fruits and vegetables as
affected by moisture migration for future studies.