Ultrasound-assisted immersion thawing of prepared ground pork: Effects on thawing time, product quality, water distribution and microstructure

Abstract

The effects of air thawing (AT), water immersion thawing (WIT), and ultrasound-assisted immersion thawing (UIT) with different power density (90, 120 and 150 W/L) on the thawing time, product quality and water distribution as well as microstructure of prepared ground pork (PGP) were investigated. The UIT treatments significantly shortened thawing time by 40.74–59.26% compared with the AT method (P < 0.05). The UIT-120 W/L treatments had better color, water holding capacity, and texture, and the best microstructure. The 150 W/L UIT treatments induced severely damaged muscle structure and significantly decreased the quality (P < 0.05). The UIT-120 W/L treatment could improve the thawing efficiency and quality of PGP samples.