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This research evaluates the effectiveness of different freezing methods on tilapia fillet quality during storage.

May 16, 2026LWT1 citationsOpen Access

Investigating a low-coolant-consumption and high-quality method for freezing tilapia fillets: Evaluation of suitable liquid coolants and the potential of immersion freezing as a moderate low-temperature alternative to liquid nitrogen freezing

TDTing DuanCentral South University of Forestry and Technology XYXuzhong YangCentral South University of Forestry and Technology LALihong AnCentral South University of Forestry and Technology

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This research evaluates the effectiveness of different freezing methods on tilapia fillet quality during storage.
Evaluated freezing techniques at various temperatures: −20 °C static air, −35 °C blast air, −30 °C immersion, and −80 °C liquid nitrogen.
Utilized response surface methodology to develop an optimal coolant formulation for immersion freezing.
Storage quality of frozen tilapia fillets assessed over a 90-day period at −18 °C.
Both −30 °C immersion freezing (IF) and −80 °C liquid nitrogen freezing (LNF) significantly improved freezing rates and reduced ice crystal size (p < 0.05).
Quality maintenance during storage at −18 °C was higher for both −30 °C-IF and −80 °C-LNF compared to traditional methods (p < 0.05).
−30 °C-IF provided comparable preservation outcomes to −80 °C-LNF at a lower cost (p > 0.05).

Resumen

This study aimed to evaluate the impact of −20 °C static air freezing (−20 °C-SAF), −35 °C blast air freezing (−35 °C-BAF), −30 °C immersion freezing (−30 °C-IF), and −80 °C liquid nitrogen freezing (−80 °C-LNF) on quality of tilapia fillets during 90-day storage period at −18 °C. Utilizing response surface methodology, an optimal formulation for composite coolants was established, comprising 20.00% ethanol, 10.19% propylene glycol, 8.00% NaCl, and 15.00% betaine. Key findings indicated that both −30 °C-IF and −80 °C-LNF methods significantly enhanced freezing rates, generated smaller and more uniformly distributed ice crystals, compared with −20 °C-SAF and -35 °C-BAF ( p 0.05), while simultaneously reducing the consumptionof freezing media. These finding position −30 °C-IF as a potentially cost-efficient alternative to premium quick-frozen tilapia products. • An optimal liquid coolant formulation was successfully developed for the immersion freezing of tilapia fillets. • The −30 °C-IF achieved the highest efficiency, marked by the shortest transit time through the zone of maximum ice crystal formation (Z-MICF), followed by −80 °C-LNF. • Both −30 °C-IF and −80 °C-LNF significantly outperformed −20 °C-SAF and −35 °C-BAF, with minimal quality differences observed between the two former methods. • The −30 °C-IF treatment produced the most refined ice crystal morphology, which effectively preserved the integrity of the muscle fibers. • Compared to −80 °C-LNF, the −30 °C-IF method presents a significant advantage in terms of potential cost efficiency.

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