A method for thawing frozen meat

Abstract

This invention discloses a method for thawing frozen meat, belonging to the field of frozen meat thawing technology. The method includes the following steps: S1: Coating or spraying a biological preservative onto the surface of cut frozen meat pieces; S2: Placing the frozen meat coated with the mixture into a radio frequency (RF) thawing device, setting the RF frequency to 25-40MHz; S3: Immersing the RF-thawed meat in warm water at 2-4 times its weight, vacuum-packing it, and then placing it in an ultra-high pressure container, maintaining a pressure of 150-250MPa for 5-15 minutes for high-pressure color protection. This invention, by coating the meat surface with a biological preservative and combining RF and high-pressure color protection technologies, effectively reduces the loss of meat juices during thawing, maintains the color and nutritional components of the meat, improves the quality of thawed meat, and makes it closer to the taste and flavor of fresh meat.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of frozen meat thawing technology, and more particularly to a method for thawing frozen livestock meat. Background Technology

[0002] Frozen meat can maintain its quality for a relatively long time during storage and transportation, but the thawing process often leads to a decline in meat quality, such as loss of juices, deterioration in color, and loss of nutrients. Existing thawing methods, such as natural thawing, refrigerated thawing, and microwave thawing, all have certain limitations. For example, natural thawing takes a long time and is prone to microbial growth; microwave thawing can easily cause localized overheating, affecting the taste and quality of the meat. The ultra-high pressure color-protecting and freshness-restoring thawing method proposed in the invention patent application number 201711322245.6, while improving the thawing effect to some extent, still has room for further optimization. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The purpose of this invention is to provide a new method for thawing frozen meat. By coating the surface of the meat with a biological preservative and combining it with radio frequency and high-pressure color protection technology, the loss of meat juices during the thawing process can be effectively reduced, the color and nutritional components of the meat can be maintained, and the quality of the thawed meat can be improved, making it closer to the taste and flavor of fresh meat.

[0004] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides a method for thawing frozen meat, comprising the following steps:

[0005] S1: Coat or spray the surface of the cut frozen meat pieces with a biological preservative; the biological preservative includes: vitamin C, salt, and a beneficial bacteria combination agent; the beneficial bacteria combination agent includes at least one of lactobacillus and Lactobacillus plantarum.

[0006] S2: Place the frozen meat covered with the mixture into a radio frequency defrosting device, with the radio frequency set to 25-40MHz;

[0007] S3: Immerse the meat that has been pre-thawed by radio frequency in warm water at a volume of 2-4 times its weight, vacuum pack it, and then place it in an ultra-high pressure container. Maintain a pressure of 150-250 MPa for 5-15 minutes to perform high-pressure color protection treatment. Remove the treated meat from the container and place it in a refrigerated environment for further refrigeration until it reaches the appropriate consumption temperature.

[0008] Preferably, the mass ratio of vitamin C, edible salt and beneficial bacteria combination agent is 1:10:0.1-1:5:0.05.

[0009] Preferably, when the beneficial bacteria combination agent includes Lactobacillus and Lactobacillus plantarum, the ratio of the two is 1:1.

[0010] Beneficial effects of the present invention

[0011] This invention discloses a method for thawing frozen meat. By applying a biological preservative to form a protective film on the surface of the meat, the seepage of meat juices during thawing is reduced, improving meat quality and inhibiting the oxidation of myoglobin in the meat. Combined with high-pressure color protection technology, the thawed meat has a bright color that is closer to that of fresh meat. Radio frequency thawing technology can quickly and evenly heat the meat, and combined with high-pressure color protection, it further shortens the overall thawing time. Detailed Implementation

[0012] This invention provides a method for thawing frozen meat, comprising the following steps:

[0013] S1: Coat or spray the surface of the cut frozen meat pieces with a biological preservative; the biological preservative includes: vitamin C, salt for thawing frozen meat, and a beneficial bacteria combination agent; the beneficial bacteria combination agent includes at least one of lactobacillus and Lactobacillus plantarum; preferably, the mass ratio of vitamin C, salt, and beneficial bacteria combination agent is 1:10:0.1-1:5:0.05.

[0014] Preferably, when the beneficial bacteria combination agent includes Lactobacillus and Lactobacillus plantarum, the ratio of the two is 1:1.

[0015] S2: Place the frozen meat covered with the mixture into a radio frequency defrosting device, with the radio frequency set to 25-40MHz;

[0016] S3: Immerse the meat that has been pre-thawed by radio frequency in warm water at a volume of 2-4 times its weight, vacuum pack it, and then place it in an ultra-high pressure container. Maintain a pressure of 150-250 MPa for 5-15 minutes to perform high-pressure color protection treatment. Remove the treated meat from the container and place it in a refrigerated environment for further refrigeration until it reaches the appropriate consumption temperature.

[0017] Example 1

[0018] S1: Cut commercially available frozen beef into uniform pieces. Prepare a biological preservative using a ratio of vitamin C, salt, and a probiotic combination agent of 1:8:0.08 by mass. Only Lactobacillus should be used as the probiotic combination agent. Accurately weigh the vitamin C, salt, and Lactobacillus preparation and mix thoroughly to create a biological preservative suitable for coating or spraying. Use a sprayer to evenly spray the prepared biological preservative onto the surface of the frozen beef pieces, ensuring the surface is completely covered.

[0019] S2: Place the frozen beef chunks sprayed with the biological preservative into the radio frequency defrosting device. Set the radio frequency to 30MHz, and adjust the device power according to the weight of the beef chunks so that the power per kilogram of meat is approximately 200 watts. Control the meat's heating rate to approximately 2°C per minute, and stop the radio frequency defrosting operation when the core temperature of the meat rises to -4°C.

[0020] S3: Prepare warm water at 35℃, with a mass of 3 times that of the beef chunks. Immerse the beef chunks, which have undergone preliminary radiofrequency thawing, in the warm water and vacuum pack them. Place the packaged beef chunks in an ultra-high pressure container and maintain a pressure of 200MPa for 10 minutes to complete the high-pressure color protection treatment. After that, remove the beef chunks from the container and place them in a refrigerated environment at 2℃ for further refrigeration until they reach the appropriate consumption temperature.

[0021] The thawed beef lost approximately 3.5% of its juices, and its redness value decreased by about 7% compared to before thawing. Sensory evaluation showed that the meat was tender, juicy, and had a good flavor. Microbiological testing after 7 days of refrigeration showed that the total bacterial count was significantly lower than that of untreated beef of the same type, and no off-odors or spoilage were observed, indicating good preservation.

[0022] Example 2

[0023] S1: Cut frozen pork into appropriately sized pieces. Prepare a biological preservative using a ratio of vitamin C, salt, and a beneficial bacteria combination agent of 1:6:0.06 by mass. The beneficial bacteria combination agent should consist of Lactobacillus and Lactobacillus plantarum in a 1:1 ratio. Thoroughly mix the vitamin C, salt, and the preparation made from Lactobacillus and Lactobacillus plantarum to create the biological preservative. Apply the biological preservative evenly to the surface of the pork pieces using a coating method, ensuring even distribution.

[0024] S2: Place the frozen pork chunks coated with the biological preservative into the radio frequency defrosting device; set the radio frequency to 35MHz, and adjust the device power to achieve 250 watts per kilogram of meat. Control the meat's heating rate to 2.5℃ per minute, and end the radio frequency defrosting process when the core temperature of the meat reaches -3℃.

[0025] S3: Prepare 40℃ warm water, with a mass 2.5 times that of the pork chunks. Immerse the partially thawed pork chunks in the warm water, then vacuum pack them and place them in an ultra-high pressure container. Maintain a pressure of 220MPa for 8 minutes. After the high-pressure color-preserving treatment is complete, remove the pork chunks from the container and refrigerate them at 3℃ until they are ready to eat.

[0026] After thawing, the pork lost 3.8% of its juices, and its redness decreased by approximately 8%. In terms of taste and flavor, it was close to fresh pork. After 9 days of refrigeration, microbial growth was effectively inhibited, and the pork remained of good quality with no obvious signs of spoilage.

[0027] Example 3

[0028] S1: Cut frozen mutton into similarly sized pieces. Prepare a biological preservative using a ratio of vitamin C, salt, and a probiotic combination agent of 1:10:0.1 by mass. Only *Lactobacillus plantarum* should be used as the probiotic combination agent. Thoroughly mix the appropriate amounts of vitamin C, salt, and *Lactobacillus plantarum* preparation to obtain the biological preservative. Use a sprayer to evenly spray the biological preservative onto the surface of the mutton pieces.

[0029] S2: Place the frozen lamb chunks sprayed with the biological preservative into the radio frequency defrosting device. Set the radio frequency to 28MHz and adjust the device power to 180 watts per kilogram of meat. Control the meat heating rate to 1.8℃ per minute. When the core temperature of the meat reaches -5℃, the radio frequency defrosting is complete.

[0030] S3: Prepare warm water at 32℃, with a mass 3.5 times that of the mutton chunks. Immerse the partially thawed mutton chunks in the warm water and then vacuum pack them. Place them in an ultra-high pressure container and maintain a pressure of 180MPa for 12 minutes. After the high-pressure color protection treatment is completed, remove the mutton chunks from the container and refrigerate them at 1℃ until they reach the appropriate eating temperature.

[0031] After thawing, the mutton lost approximately 3.2% of its juices, and its redness decreased by about 6%. The mutton maintained its quality and flavor well, and after 10 days of refrigeration, the number of microorganisms was found to be far below the national standard, demonstrating a significant preservation effect.

[0032] The effects of meat preservation in Examples 1-3 were observed, and the results are shown in Table 1:

[0033] Table 1

[0034] Example 1 3.7 8 good 6 Example 2 3.9 8 good 8 Example 3 3.3 7 excellent 9

[0035] The above detailed embodiments illustrate the operation process and effects of the frozen meat thawing method of the present invention. In practical applications, the formulation of the biological preservative, radio frequency thawing parameters, and high-pressure color protection conditions can be flexibly adjusted according to different types of meat, meat piece sizes, and preservation requirements to achieve the best thawing and preservation effects.

Claims

1. A method for thawing frozen meat, characterized in that, Includes the following steps: S1: Coat or spray the surface of the cut frozen meat pieces with a biological preservative; The biological preservative includes: vitamin C, salt for thawing frozen meat, and a beneficial bacteria combination agent; the beneficial bacteria combination agent includes at least one of lactobacillus and Lactobacillus plantarum. S2: Place the frozen meat covered with the mixture into a radio frequency defrosting device, with the radio frequency set to 25-40MHz; S3: Immerse the meat that has been pre-thawed by radio frequency in warm water at a volume of 2-4 times its weight, vacuum pack it, and then place it in an ultra-high pressure container. Maintain a pressure of 150-250 MPa for 5-15 minutes to perform high-pressure color protection treatment. Remove the treated meat from the container and place it in a refrigerated environment for further refrigeration until it reaches the appropriate consumption temperature.

2. The method for thawing frozen meat according to claim 1, characterized in that, The mass ratio of vitamin C, edible salt, and beneficial bacteria combination agent is 1:10:0.1-1:5:0.

05.

3. The method for thawing frozen meat according to claim 1, characterized in that, When the beneficial bacteria combination agent includes Lactobacillus and Lactobacillus plantarum, the ratio of the two is 1:1.