FREEZING

CHILLING – may keep the fish bet. 1-2 weeks

FREEZING – will keep fish, under proper

conditions, for several months without
considerable changes in quality
 FREEZING

change in the physical state of a substance from a

liquid to a solid, in which energy or latent heat has
to be removed from the substance.

considered an excellent process for preserving the

quality of fish for longer period of time.

<-10oC- most microbial activities stop.

 EFFECTS OF FREEZING

Ideally, there should be no distinguishable

changes
between fresh and frozen products after thawing.

Biological changes are very minimal.

A series of chemical, physical and histological

changes occur in frozen fish during excessively
prolonged cold storage at temperatures below
–30 oC

Partial and mild dehydration

 Stages of Freezing

1. Stage 1- REMOVAL OF HEAT

-denoted by the fall of temperature
-temp falls fairly rapidly to just below 0oC

2. Stage 2- CONVERSION OF WATER TO ICE;

CRYSTALLIZATION OF WATER.
-critical zone or period of thermal arrest at
around -1oC

3. Stage 3- FURTHER COOLING OF FROZEN FISH

-frozen fish attains the desired temp. for
storage at around -30oC.
 TYPES OF FREEZING
SLOW FREEZING QUICK FREEZING
(SNAP FREEZING)

Ice crystal Large Small

Thermal Arrest passes at a very passes at very

Period slow rate quickly

Rate of freezing -2mm/hr -5-30 mm/hr

- lowers the
temperature of
fish from 0 to
- –5oC in 2 hrs or
less
 METHODS OF FREEZING

1. AIR BLAST FREEZING

 METHODS OF FREEZING
2. CONTACT OR PLATE FREEZING

3. SPRAY OR IMMERSION FREEZING

 QUALITY ASSESSMENT OF FROZEN FISH
1. PROTEIN DENATURATION

2. FREEZER BURN
 QUALITY ASSESSMENT OF FROZEN FISH
3. LIPID CHANGES
 QUALITY ASSESSMENT OF FROZEN FISH
4. DEHYDRATION AND WEIGHT LOSS

5. DEVELOPMENT OF COLD-STORE FLAVOR

AND ODOR
 THAWING OF FROZEN PRODUCTS
1. THAWING IN AIR
A. STILL AIR
B. MOVING AIR (AIR BLAST THAWING)
2. THAWING IN WATER
3. VACUUM THAWING
4. ELECTRICAL METHODS
-dielectric and electrical resistance
heating for thawing or tempering (partial
thawing or softening)
HANDLING OF FROZEN FISH
DURING THAWING
 FREEZING PROBLEMS
1. BROWNING OR BLACKENING OF TUNA
AND BONITO MEAT – due to oxidation of
hemoglobin in the blood and myoglobin in
the meat.
2. GREEN DISCOLORATION OF TUNA MEAT –
due to the presence of TMAO in the flesh
3. BROWNING OR BLACK SPOT IN SHRIMPS
AND PRAWNS – due to oxidation of tyrosine
into melanin
SOME MANUFACTURED PRODUCTS

1. BONELESS
MILKFISH

2. SQUIDS

(for the whole freezing

procedure, please see
Espejo-Hermes’ FISH
POCESSING TECHNOLOGY
IN THE TROPICS, pp. 52-54 )