Mechanism of ultrasound assisted nucleation during freezing and its application in food freezing process

Abstract

Ultrasound assisted freezing (UAF) is a common and remarkable technology of food preservation to conserve the sensory characteristics and nutritional value. The propagation of ultrasound in a medium generates various physical and chemical effects and these effects have been harnessed to improve the efficiency of food freezing. This review provides an overview of recent developments related to the mechanism, influencing factors, equipment of UAF. The applications of high intensity ultrasound to improve the efficiency of freezing process, to control the size and size distribution of ice crystals and to improve the quality of frozen foods are discussed in considerable detail. Then the future development trends and challenges of UAF have also been highlighted.

Keywords

• ultrasound assisted freezing
• nucleation
• ice crystal
• food application