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Liquid nitrogen quick freezer optimization for preserving litchi fruit quality.

Author(s) : ABDEEN M. A., CHENG X., ZHENG Z., YU B., HAN C., WU W.

Type of article: IJR article

Summary

This study optimized a liquid nitrogen quick freezer for litchi fruit to mitigate peel cracking, reduce freezing time, and preserve fruit quality after thawing. Using a Taguchi L9 array design, the effects of freezer temperature (-60, -50, and -40 ◦C), nitrogen spraying nozzle type (Hollow-cone, Full-cone, and Flood), and air distributing fan speed (800, 1000, and 1200 rpm) on freezing time and fruit quality were investigated. After freezing to a core temperature of -18 ◦C, the frozen litchis were inspected for outer peel cracks, and the freezing time was calculated. The frozen litchis were stored in the refrigerator for 30 days, after which the fruit samples were thawed using a gradient thawing method (-18: 5: 4 ◦C) and then subjected to quality analysis. The optimal freezing conditions were achieved using a freezer temperature of -50 ◦C and a fan speed of 1200 rpm, with fullcone nozzles, which resulted in zero cracks, minimal freezing time, and improved quality preservation. While all frozen-thawed fruits showed some quality degradation compared to fresh fruits, the optimized freezing parameters better preserved >96 % of fresh color, 52.38 % of the weight loss, 34.75 % Vitamin C (Vc), 30 % hardness, and 23.16 % Total soluble solids (TSS) compared to suboptimal conditions. These findings provide valuable insights for food freezing research and industry, preventing peel cracking, saving time and cost, and preserving fruit quality.

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Pages: 9 p.

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Details

  • Original title: Liquid nitrogen quick freezer optimization for preserving litchi fruit quality.
  • Record ID : 30034363
  • Languages: English
  • Subject: Technology
  • Source: International Journal of Refrigeration - Revue Internationale du Froid - vol. 179
  • Publication date: 2025/11
  • DOI: http://dx.doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijrefrig.2025.08.024

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