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Monitoring the Formation of Ice During Food Freezing by Magnetic Resonance Imaging

https://doi.org/10.1006/fstl.1997.0323Get rights and content

Abstract

The formation of ice during food freezing was examined by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Formation of ice was seen as a reduction in spatially located NMR signal intensity. Potatoes, carrots, peas, corn, and chicken legs were studied with an image resolution of 350 μm. Internal structures differentiated by water or fat content were highlighted by MRI. For all but corn, the ice interface advanced uniformly but asymmetrically. Corn kernels froze individually in a process possibly governed by ice nucleation. The time required for the signal to disappear corresponded to that required to reach steady-state enthalpy. MRI could serve to assess freezing times and the importance of food structure to the freezing process.

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