Mechanisms of Quality Preservation in Golden Pomfret Fish Balls Treated with Ultra-High Pressure During Freeze-Thaw Cycles.

ABSTRACT: The rising demand for convenient, nutritious foods necessitates improved freeze-thaw (F-T) stability in frozen fish balls; however, traditional thermal processing fails to prevent moisture loss, textural degradation, and oxidation. Therefore, this study systematically investigated the effect of ultra-high pressure (UHP) treatment on the quality of golden pomfret fish balls (Trachinotus ovatus) using two-step heating as a control during the F-T cycles. The results showed that compared to two-step heating, UHP significantly reduced the thawing loss (0.68 times) and centrifugal water loss (2.43 times) by enhancing the water-binding capacity (15-20%) and forming denser gel networks. Microstructural analysis revealed that UHP resulted in a more compact internal structure, reduced porosit

SUBMITTER: Liu J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12524334 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature