International. Freezing food products preserves taste and nutrients with characteristics similar to those of fresh produce. However, it often produces a smooth texture and lack of retention of finished products after baking – especially in the case of fruits and vegetables – due to the breakage of cell walls caused by ice crystals during freezing and thawing operations. This results in poor sensory appreciation and a poor ability to use these products in many food preparations (cakes, cooked dishes, etc.).
Researcher L. Ben Haj Said et al., recently published a study on a process of freezing partially dehydrated apples (dehydrogeneration). This preservation process comprises a drying process involving air convection, followed by an instantaneous controlled pressure drop, resulting in decontamination and texturing and then freezing of the finished product.
The results obtained show that, after freezing/thawing, significant preservation of firmness was obtained with samples with low water content, while firmness decreased significantly with fresh apple samples and samples with a water content greater than 200% (dry base). Thus, the partial elimination of water constitutes a promising solution to avoid the negative impacts of freezing on the firmness of the apple.
