Research progress in the application of catalytic infrared technology in fruit and vegetable processing.

Fruit and vegetable processing can effectively maintain the quality and safety of fruit and vegetable-based products while extending the shelf life of products and saving transportation costs. Infrared (IR) technology has been widely used in many operating units of fruit and vegetable processing because of its versatility of uniform heating, high heat transfer efficiency, and minimized damage to fruit and vegetable tissues. Catalytic IR (CIR), compared to traditional electric IR, is powered by natural gas or liquefied gas, which can improve thermal efficiency while significantly saving energy. However, there is no comprehensive overview discussing and summarizing the utilization and application of the CIR technology in fruit and vegetable processing. Therefore, this review aims to highlight recent advances in the application of CIR technology in fruit and vegetable processing. Specifically, a comprehensive discussion of the physicochemical properties and underlying mechanisms of CIR is provided, and its applications as a single method or in combination with other technologies in fruit and vegetable processes, such as blanching, peeling, microbial population reduction, and drying, are also presented. Besides, the currently used laboratory and pilot-scale equipment of CIR has also been summarized.

Ultrasonic-assisted flowing water thawing of frozen beef with different frequency modes: Effects on thawing efficiency, quality characteristics and microstructure.

This study aimed to evaluate the effects of ultrasonic-assisted thawing at different frequency modes (mono-, dual- and tri-frequency) on the thawing efficiency and quality evaluation of frozen beef. The thawing time, muscle quality, and microstructure of frozen beef were studied. The results showed that ultrasonic-assisted thawing effectively reduced the thawing time by 15.7-45.4% compared with flowing water thawing. For the quality properties of beef tissue, the ultrasound-assisted thawing with the single-frequency of 22 kHz and the dual-frequency of 22/33 kHz showed a higher water holding capacity; meanwhile, shear force values were also significantly decreased, and the tenderness of beef tissue was improved accordingly under such conditions. The microstructure analysis showed that the distribution of beef muscle fibers became closer and more regular. Therefore, ultrasound-assisted thawing treatments at 22 kHz single-frequency and 22/33 kHz dual-frequency have a high potential application value in the thawing industry of frozen beef.