Effects of different freezing methods on the qualities of abalone muscle

ZHAO Ying; LU Chenxi; LIN Ying; LIU Yuxin

doi:10.12187/2025.06.004

Abstract：[Objective]To investigate the effects of different freezing methods on the qualities of frozen abalone muscles.[Methods]Fresh abalones were treated with four freezing methods:Air Freezing(AF),Cooked Freezing(CF),Rapid Cryogenic Freezing(RCF),and Liquid Nitrogen Freezing(LNF).The effects on ice crystal formation,tissue structure,moisture distribution and changes,protein properties,and textural properties were analyzed.[Results]AF-treated muscles remained largely intact in fiber structure with higher thawing/cooking losses and slight changes in protein conformation and textural properties.CF treatment induced large,irregular ice crystals,increased fiber breakage,reduced water-holding capacity,the highest thawing/cooking losses,severe protein oxidation(lowest surface hydrophobicity:(6.39±0.96)μg/mg;total sulfhydryl:(1.49±0.04)μmol/g),and most severe textural deterioration.RCF treatment formed fine,uniform ice crystals with dense,homogeneous fibers,resulting in lower thawing loss and enhanced water-holding capacity((40.49±2.89)％),stable protein structure,and preserved textural properties.LNF treatment formed finer,more uniform ice crystals with tighter fiber packing,showed no significant difference in thawing loss and water-holding capacity compared to RCF,and demonstrated enhanced protein stability for better textural preservation.[Conclusion]LNF treatment better preserves abalone muscle quality by promoting fine,uniform ice crystal formation and maintaining protein stability.