Effects of high-voltage electrostatic field treatment on the thawing rate and post-thawing quality of frozen rabbit meat

The thawing rate and post-thawing quality of frozen rabbit meat after the use of high-voltage electrostatic fields (HVEFs) were investigated in this study. The thawing efficiency could be significantly improved at voltages of - 15, - 20 or - 25 kV, and HVEF treatment resulted in 0.5-1.7log reductions in the number of microorganisms. The rabbit meat thawed at - 20 kV had optimal qualities, including a high water-holding capacity (WHC) and good texture quality. Although there were structural alterations of the myoglobin treated at - 20 kV HVEF, the sarcoplasmic protein solubility was not reduced. Additionally, the - 20 kV HVEF treatment led to less denaturation of the myofibrillar proteins than with still air thawing, as demonstrated by the actin denaturation enthalpy (- 0.26 +/- 0.085 and - 0.12 +/- 0.040 J/g, respectively). Finally, thawing at - 20 kV HVEF had little influence on the relaxation of water, including the water mobility, in rabbit meat. Industrial relevance: This study found that HVEF thawing could shorten thawing time by 60%. Moreover, compared with air thawing, - 20 kV HVEF thawing led to less denaturation of the myofibrillar proteins, which is very important for further processing in the rabbit meat industry.