Processing and Packaging

Pre-treatment

1. Blanching

• Immersion or steaming
• Providing good condition for freezing
• Improve eating quality
• Destruction of microorganisms
• Wilting vegetables
• Reduction of undesirable materials
• Inactivation of various enzymes
• Extension of shelf life

2. Heat treatment

• Low temperature long time
• Decrease cell damage and excessive softness
• Firmer texture

3. Dipping treatment

• Dipping / soaking in solution: brine, ascorbic acid, citric acid, sugar, etc
• Reduce browning
• Reduce enzymatic reaction
• Provide glazing that protect products from dehydration and oxidation

4. Bacterial 

ice nucleators

• Elevate nucleation temperature
• Reduce freezing time
• Increase freezing rate
• Improve quality

5. Antifreeze proteins (AFPs)

• Lower freezing temperature
• Bind to the ice crystal
• Retarding recrystallization

6. Osmotic concentration

• Soaking food items in concentrate solution such as sugar solution
• Partial removal of moisture from foods
• Improving product quality
• Reducing refrigeration load

7. Cryoprotection

• Protection of protein freeze denaturation
• Preserving functional properties of proteins
• Examples: Sorbitol, sucrose, polydextrose, maltodextrins
• Produce smooth textures in Surimi (crabstick)

8. Irradiation

• Treating with ionizing radiation generated by radioactive materials
• Retard spoilage microorganisms

Post-treatment

Thawing

• Essential to maximise quality retention
• Thawing through refrigerator, microwave oven, cooking