Food Antifreeze Agents: Mechanism of Action and Application to Meat Products

Freezing technology extends the shelf life of products, reduces losses during long-distance transport, and makes it possible to industrialize food production. With the rapid growth of the prepared meat dish market in China, meat products need long-term cryogenic transportation and preservation. However, freezing technology faces some problems such as susceptibility to damage, quality decline, poor texture properties, water loss and taste deterioration during the freezing of meat products. Many kinds of food antifreeze agents are available now, which have a wide range of sources and low cost, and can solve the problem of freezing degeneration in various kinds of food. Therefore, food antifreeze agents play an extremely important role in improving the quality of frozen meat products. The development and application of food antifreeze agents are directly related to the development of the frozen meat industry. At present, the commonly used food antifreeze agents mainly include antifreeze protein, phosphate, and modified starch. Through different mechanisms of action, they can protect meat components, reduce ice crystal damage, increase water retention, and thus improve the quality of frozen food. In this paper, the types, mechanism of action and application of antifreeze agents in food are reviewed, aiming to provide more theoretical references for the wide application of antifreeze agents in meat products.