Abstract：This study was conducted to analyze the effect of different thawing relative humidities (RH, 50%, 75% and 98%) on the quality characteristics of frozen beef using fresh beef as control. The changes of thawing time, water holding capacity (WHC), pH value, color, tenderness, protein solubility and malondialdehyde (MDA) content were investigated. The results showed that compared with fresh beef, thawing could deteriorate the WHC, tenderness and color and promote protein denaturation and fat oxidation. The thawing efficiency was obviously improved, thawing loss was reduced and protein solubility was increased with the increase of RH. Cooking loss and pH value were not significantly changed among thawing treatments. Furthermore, high humidity thawing could improve the color and tenderness and alleviate lipid oxidation, and better effect was achieved at 75% RH than at 98% RH. Therefore, increasing the thawing humidity within a certain range could enhance the thawing efficiency, maintain the WHC, color and tenderness, and alleviate protein denaturation and lipid oxidation, thereby improving the quality of thawed beef.
2019, Vol. 33 
