Multiphysics synergistic thawing technologies for mitigating meat quality deterioration: Mechanisms, applications,...

Area of Science:

• Food Science and Technology
• Materials Science
• Biophysics

Background:

• Conventional meat thawing methods lead to significant quality degradation, including increased drip loss, protein denaturation, and lipid oxidation.
• Emerging physical field-assisted technologies present promising alternatives for efficient and controlled meat thawing.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the mechanisms of physical field-assisted thawing technologies in minimizing meat quality loss.
• To identify limitations of current technologies and propose synergistic strategies for enhanced thawing outcomes.
• To highlight future research directions for sustainable and industry-adaptable meat processing.

Main Methods:

• Review of scientific literature on physical field-assisted thawing (radio frequency, microwave, ultrasound, magnetic, electrostatic, pulsed electric fields, ohmic heating).
• Analysis of mechanisms influencing meat quality parameters: water-holding capacity, texture, color, microstructure, and oxidation.
• Examination of proposed synergistic strategies: functionalized magnetic nanoparticles, multi-physical field superposition, environment-responsive hybrid systems, and AI-optimized parameter adaptation.

Main Results:

• Physical field technologies can enhance water-holding capacity, texture, color stability, and microstructure while suppressing oxidation.
• Key limitations include thawing uniformity, electrode corrosion, cost, and safety concerns.
• Synergistic strategies show potential to overcome current limitations and improve thawing efficiency and product quality.

Conclusions:

• Synergistic thawing strategies, including magnetic nanoparticles, multi-field superposition, hybrid systems, and AI optimization, are crucial for overcoming current limitations.
• Future research should focus on multi-field synergy mechanisms and smart control for energy-efficient, scalable, and sustainable meat processing solutions.