Freeze‐cracking in Foods as Affected by Physical Properties

Severe mechanical damage such as cracks can occur in foods during cryogenic freezing. Ten physical properties of 22 different materials were correlated with freeze‐cracking incidence. Statistical analyses revealed that several properties correlated significantly with freeze‐cracking. This implies that freeze‐cracking depends not only on moisture content but on combinations of several properties. A set of equations based on densities and porosities was developed to predict freeze‐cracking incidence with an accuracy of 98% in noncracking products and 70% in cracking products during cryogenic freezing. In addition, susceptibility of various food commodities to freeze‐cracking was determined.