Ultrasonic Monitoring of the Processes of Blast Freezing and Thawing of Meat
Alexey Tatarinov, Marija Osipova, Viktors Mironovs
TL;DR
This study shows how ultrasound can detect freezing and thawing in meat, revealing differences between lean and fatty tissues.
Contribution
The study introduces a novel ultrasonic method to monitor meat freezing and thawing with high precision.
Findings
Lean meat shows rapid signal loss during freezing, while fatty tissues show prolonged attenuation.
Ultrasound velocity jumps from 1.4–1.6 km/s to 2.6–3.7 km/s indicate complete freezing.
Hysteresis between temperature and phase transitions was observed, highlighting the value of ultrasonic monitoring.
Abstract
Freezing and thawing affect the structural integrity and quality of meat, yet these processes remain difficult to monitor due to spatial temperature gradients and non-uniform phase transitions. This study investigates the ability of ultrasound to detect dynamic freezing and thawing events in pork tissues with different fat contents. Specimens of water, lean meat, marbled meat, layered lean–fat structures, and lard were subjected to controlled freeze–thaw cycles while ultrasonic signals and internal temperatures were continuously monitored. Consistent amplitude drops in the megahertz range at entering the freezing phase formed characteristic signal patterns that differed sharply between lean and fatty tissues. Lean meat, dominated by water content, exhibited rapid signal loss at the onset of ice crystallization and a clear recovery of amplitude once fully frozen. Fat-rich tissues…
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Taxonomy
TopicsMeat and Animal Product Quality · Food Drying and Modeling · Ultrasonics and Acoustic Wave Propagation