The effect of freezing conditions on the quality of freeze-chilled reconstituted mashed potato

Freeze-chilling involves freezing and frozen storage of food products followed by thawing and chilled retail display. The objective of this trial was to examine the effect of different freezing conditions (-30 degreesC, -60 degreesC, -90 degreesC) on selected quality parameters of freeze-chilled reconstituted potato flakes. Lowering the freezing temperature reduced the time required for freezing, gave a softer product and led to a reduction in drip loss. Freeze-chilling resulted in a firmer product and a higher drip loss compared to chilling alone. There was no difference in vitamin C content or in taste panel acceptability between the chilled and the freeze-chilled products. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.