Use of hydrocolloids as cryoprotectant for frozen foods

Freezing is one of the widely used preservation methods to preserve the quality of food products but it also results in deteriorative changes in textural properties of food which in turn affects its marketability. Different foodstuffs undergo different types of changes in texture, taste and overall acceptability upon freezing and subsequent frozen storage. Freezing and thawing of pre-cut or whole fruits and vegetables causes many deleterious effects including texture and drip losses. The major problem in stability of ice-cream is re-crystallization phenomena which happens due to temperature fluctuations during storage and finally impairs the quality of ice-cream. Frozen storage for longer periods causes rubbery texture in meat and fish products. To overcome these problems, hydrocolloids which are polysaccharides of high molecular weight, are used in numerous food applications involving gelling, thickening, stabilizing, emulsifying etc. They could improve the rheological and textural characteristics of food systems by changing the viscosity. They play a major role in retaining texture of fruits and vegetables after freezing. They provide thermodynamic stability to ice cream to control the process of re-crystallization. Hydrocolloids find application in frozen surimi, minced fish, and meat products due to their water-binding ability. They are also added to frozen bakery products to improve shelf-stability by retaining sufficient moisture and retarding staling. Various hydrocolloids impart different cryoprotective effects to food products depending upon their solubility, water-holding capacity, rheological properties, and synergistic effect with other ingredients during freezing and frozen storage.