Applications of Low-voltage Ohmic Process Combined with Temperature Control System to Enhance Salting Process of Pork

This study investigated the effects of a low-voltage ohmic heating process (2.5 and 3.8 V/cm) on the thawing characteristics and NaCl diffusion of pork. The thawing rate of pork was dependent on the applied voltages and brine salinities, and few differences were obtained in pork quality parameters (color, water-holding capacity, and shear force) regarding the different treatments. The NaCl concentration of pork after ohmic thawing was higher than that following brine-immersion thawing, however, the NaCl diffusion did not differ from when fresh meat was immersed in brine. For application of the ohmic process in fresh pork, various ohmic pulses were generated in order to prevent the meat from overheating, and the results indicated that the ohmic process was a better way to enhance NaCl diffusion compared with immersing pork at high temperature. Although the mechanisms involved in NaCl diffusion at low-voltage electric field strength were unclear, the present study demonstrated that the ohmic process has a potential benefit in the application of meat processing.