Enhanced Supercooling of Water with a 6 mT/50 Hz Oscillating Magnetic Field and Its Application in Fruit Preservation

doi:10.21203/rs.3.rs-3728810/v1

Download PDF

Research Article

Enhanced Supercooling of Water with a 6 mT/50 Hz Oscillating Magnetic Field and Its Application in Fruit Preservation

https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-3728810/v1

This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License

You are reading this latest preprint version

This study aims to investigate the influence of oscillating magnetic fields on the deep supercooling of water and the supercooling storage of fruits. The results showed that by utilizing a 6 mT/50 Hz oscillating magnetic field, water (1 ml) was able to be maintained at -18°C for 24 hours, achieving deep supercooling. Combining magnetic field with oil-sealed water enhanced supercooling compared to oil sealing alone. By adding an oscillating magnetic field, fruits were maintained at a temperature of -5°C for 12 hours. The supercooled samples exhibited a texture and color that were close to those of fresh samples and also experienced a reduction in water loss of up to 30.25% in comparison to frozen samples that were not treated by magnetic field treatment. The proposed method achieved significant supercooling and improved food quality using an easily obtainable type of magnetic field.

oscillating magnetic field

deep supercooling

water

fruits

Water plays a pivotal role in numerous phenomena pertinent to human existence. Broadly speaking, supercooling denotes a distinctive condition of water and aqueous solutions. Within the realm of food preservation, supercooling pertains to the state wherein food remains below its freezing temperature, yet maintains its initial form devoid of ice crystal formation (Park et al., 2023). Compared to traditional frozen storage, supercooling storage of food does not involve freezing, avoiding damage to cells or tissue by ice crystals (Kang et al., 2019). Meanwhile, As the temperature decreases, bacterial growth is usually inhibited, enzyme activity is reduced, and chemical reactions within cells slow down (Mercier et al., 2017; Osuga et al., 2021). Furthermore, in supercooling preservation, no phase change occurs, eliminating the need for energy consumption associated with latent heat during freezing. In the future, it may develop into a new type of energy-saving technology. Therefore, supercooling is a promising preservation method. Recent progress has demonstrated the clear advantages of supercooling in preserving cells, tissues, and particularly organs (de Vries et al., 2019; Huang et al., 2018; Prickett et al., 2015). Some researchers have also explored the feasibility of long-term supercooling preservation of food (Fukuma et al., 2012; Kang et al., 2021; Kim & Hong, 2022).

According to thermodynamic analysis, supercooling is an unstable state. Once there is even a slight disturbance, freezing can occur and ice crystals can form. As a result, it is challenging to produce and maintain supercooling in food and biological tissues (Stonehouse & Evans, 2015). The most widely used technique for achieving supercooling in food and biological materials is to cool them slowly, which ensures that the temperature at different locations in the food is consistent, thus achieving the effect of supercooling (Charoenrein & Preechathammawong, 2010). Based on slow freezing, supercooling preservation of some vegetables, meat, and organs has been realized (Fukuma et al., 2012; Lee et al., 2022; Park et al., 2022; Sultana et al., 2018).

In recent years, some innovative methods have been developed and tested to consistently create and maintain stable supercooling. By sealing the surface with oil, deep supercooling down to -13°C was achieved in distilled water (1 ml) for up to 7 days (Huang et al., 2018). The samples that were deeply supercooled showed remarkable stability when exposed to different types of disturbances such as vibration, heat, and ultrasound. A novel method involving the use of a strong electrostatic field has been suggested to regulate the process of ice nucleation (Orlowska et al., 2009). High-pressure treatment has been proven to maintain the supercooling state of biological tissues. For example, the heart of a rat was kept at temperatures below freezing without actually freezing (Wan et al., 2018).

The magnetic field-assisted method is an important one of these innovative methods (Rodríguez et al., 2017). The impact of magnetic fields on the supercooling of water has attracted the attention of many researchers. The vibratory or rotational motion of the magnetic field is believed by some scholars (Zhang et al., 2021) to enhance the thermal conductivity of the liquid. This, in turn, is thought to accelerate the removal efficiency of latent heat and suppress the nucleation of ice crystals. When water was stored at -11°C, an oscillating magnetic field (OMF) intensity of 50 mT kept water supercooled without freezing, whereas an OMF intensity of more than 100 mT induced icing (Kang et al., 2021). However, it has also been reported that distilled water and a 0.9% NaCl solution treated with a weak OMF (0.8 mT) and a frequency range of 20–2000 Hz showed no significant supercooling (Otero et al., 2020).

The application of the magnetic field has received more attention in food freezing and supercooling preservation. Since it does not come into contact with the food matrix, magnetic field technology eliminates the risk of chemical contamination residue (Kaur & Kumar, 2020). Additionally, its implementation is relatively feasible. The currently reported magnetic field-assisted techniques include various types, such as static magnetic fields, pulse magnetic fields, alternating magnetic fields, etc. Meanwhile, the majority of the magnetic field intensities are in the magnitude of millitesla (mT) (Jha et al., 2017). The use of pulsed electric fields and OMF (50 to 100 mT at 1 Hz) has been reported to prolong the supercooling of chicken breasts (Mok et al., 2017). According to the findings, the combination of PEF and OMF supercooling proved to be highly efficient in preserving the original quality of meat without causing any notable physical harm or chemical alterations. Fresh-cut mango slices were maintained in a supercooled state at -5°C for 7 days using an OMF with a frequency of 1 Hz and an intensity of 50 mT (Kang et al., 2021). By working together to hinder ice nucleation, the combination of OMF (10 mT at 10 Hz) and pulsed electric field (PEF) effectively sustained a supercooled state at -4°C for fatty beef, as confirmed by the study (Kang et al., 2022). The impact of magnetic fields on food freezing and supercooling is still a subject of debate and remains unsettled (Erikson et al., 2016; Otero et al., 2017; Otero & Pozo, 2022).

At present, firstly, there is no research demonstrating that magnetic fields increase the supercooling degree of water for a relatively long time (≥ 24 hours). Secondly, the supercooling degree achieved by the magnetic field is limited and the effect of combining magnetic field with other methods of supercooling to achieve greater supercooling (≤-18°C) has not been investigated. Thirdly, the previous magnetic field frequencies are relatively small, and the magnetic field intensity is relatively large. There is a lack of research on the effect of OMF with a frequency of 50 Hz (power supply frequency used in many countries worldwide) on the deep supercooling effect of water and food, which is more applicable.

In this paper, the effect of 6 mT/50 Hz OMF on the supercooling of water and fruits was investigated. The method of OMF combined with the oil-sealed liquid surface on increasing the supercooling degree of distilled water was validated and a significant supercooling degree (-18°C) was obtained. Furthermore, supercooling of fresh-cut fruit samples by OMF was achieved. The drip loss, color, and texture of supercooled fruit samples were evaluated and compared with those of fresh and frozen samples that were not exposed to OMF. This paper achieved significant supercooling and improved food quality using an easily obtainable magnetic field.

2.1 Sample preparation

2.1.1 Water

There have been reports indicating that magnetic fields can influence the supercooling phenomenon of water (Zhou et al., 2012), while water also exhibits obvious supercooling without the application of the magnetic field. Therefore, it is challenging to determine the effect of the magnetic field on supercooling of water. Oil-sealed water has been proven to achieve supercooled storage at -13°C with strong reproducibility (Huang et al., 2018). Therefore, in this experiment, by applying a magnetic field to oil-sealed distilled water, the effect of the magnetic field on water supercooling was studied, and compared with only oil-sealing treatment. The nutmeg oil (Shanghai Mayer Bio-Tech Co., Ltd.) was used to seal the water surface, with a purity exceeding 99%. The method used to establish a stable temperature gradient was based on previous reports (Kang et al., 2021). Distilled water was poured into a glass bottle and left overnight at room temperature (15°C). 1 ml of the distilled water was transferred to a 5 ml round-bottom test tube and sealed by gently injecting 1 ml of nutmeg oil along the liquid surface using a disposable pipette. The experiment was repeated ten times, and new test tubes were used in each experiment.

2.1.2 Fruits

Crown pears, apples, and cherry tomatoes, of the same batches and similar sizes and colors, were carefully selected and obtained respectively, from retail stores in Langfang, Hebei, China. After washing the fruits with distilled water, pears and apples were immediately peeled and cut into rectangular blocks measuring 40 mm × 20 mm × 12 mm and weighing 10 g ± 0.2 g. Each pear and apple was cut into four samples. These blocks and the cherry tomatoes were then covered with plastic wrap and used within two hours to ensure freshness.

To avoid any external influences in this experiment, the plastic wrap was removed when used and the samples were weighed again before being placed at the geometric center of the electromagnetic coil to ensure uniform and consistent magnetic field intensity. Three samples (1 fresh, 1 with OMF, and 1 without OMF) were used for each experiment and the experiment was repeated five times. After 12 hours, a quality assessment was performed on the samples.

2.2 Experimental setup

The schematic diagram of the experiment setup is shown in Fig. 1(a). An independently designed and fabricated magnetic field generator was used, which included two identical energized coils with a sample placement table located in the center. The detailed equipment size parameters are shown in Fig. 1(b). Each coil had 520 windings and a resistance of 3 Ω. The AC power supply could control both the output voltage and frequency. Therefore, it was used to control the OMF intensity at the sample placement position. A Gauss/Tesla meter (CH-1600, CH-Hall Electronic Devices Inc., China) was used to measure the intensity of the oscillating magnetic field, with an accuracy of ± 0.2%. Helmholtz coil can generate a uniform magnetic field in the central region (Hurtado-Velasco & Gonzalez-Llorente, 2016) and obtain an approximately cubic, homogeneous area at the center (Kang et al., 2020). Figure 1(b) illustrates three specific test points using the Tesla meter in this experiment. The magnetic field intensity of the alternating field varied with time. Prior to the experiment, measurements and records of the magnetic field intensity at these locations were taken, and this process was repeated five times. Table 1 shows the specific magnetic field intensity test results. It can be seen that the magnetic field intensity was 6 ± 0.2 mT. The frequency was fixed at 50 Hz.

Table 1

Magnetic field intensity around the sample
Test points (From left to right)	Magnetic field intensity (mT)
Test point 1	6.08 ± 0.11
Test point 2	6.11 ± 0.15
Test point 3	6.04 ± 0.14

In this experiment, all tubes were made of polystyrene and were clean and sterilized before the experiment. The prepared oil-sealed distilled water samples were frozen using a household freezer (SC/SD728CX, Haier Co., Ltd., China). The fruit samples were frozen using a household refrigerator (MR-BCD-CFG4MBXG, Qingdao Meilu Smart Technology Co., Ltd., China) for supercooling storage. The reason for using different freezers was that the temperatures required for the two experiments were inconsistent. The measurement system consisted of Type-T thermocouples (accuracy: ±0.1°C) and a data acquisition instrument (34970A, Agilent Co., Ltd., USA). The locations of the thermocouples are shown in Fig. 1. It is worth noting that during the experiment of distilled water, TC1 was attached to the test tube wall. During the experiment with the fruits, TC1 was inserted into the center of the fruit samples. At the same time, TC2 measured the air temperature around the sample, and video equipment (TL-IPC62TZ, TP-LINK Co., Ltd., China) was used to observe and record samples in real-time.

Using an energized coil to generate a magnetic field inevitably generates heat. It has been reported that the temperature increase caused by the electromagnet may negatively affect the results of samples treated with an OMF compared with control samples not exposed to OMF treatment (Otero et al., 2017). It is important to carefully control and monitor the temperature during experiments involving magnetic fields. To better emphasize the effect of the magnetic field, before starting the experiment, the temperature in the refrigerator was adjusted to balance the heat generated by the coil with the heat dissipated by the experimental device in the refrigerator. In the deep supercooling experiment of water, the air temperature around the sample was controlled at -18°C ± 0.3°C. In the experiment of fruits, the air temperature around the sample was controlled at -5°C ± 0.5°C. This ensured that the temperatures of the experimental groups and the control groups were identical and the temperature distribution was stable. As an example, Fig. 2 shows the air temperature around the sample (TC2) and the temperature of the test platform (TC1) under OMF treatment. The results showed that during long-term operation, the temperature of the experimental group was well maintained at -5°C ± 0.5°C.

2.3 Weight loss

The weight loss of fruit samples was measured using a common way (Tang et al., 2020). Fresh samples were cut into pieces, weighed, and recorded using an electronic scale (JM-BL4003, Jiming Scientific Instrument Co., Ltd., China). Frozen samples were thawed for 1 hour at 4°C before weighing, while supercooled samples were also placed under the same conditions for 1 hour. Samples were wiped with filter paper to absorb surface water.

The weight loss was calculated using Eq. (1).

Weight loss\(=\frac{{w}_{0}-{w}_{1}}{{w}_{0}}\text{*}100\text{\%}\) (1)

Where\({w}_{0}\)and\({w}_{1}\)are the weights of the fresh and thawed fruit samples, respectively.

2.4 Color

After the experiment, the color of the samples was measured and recorded using a hand-held colorimeter. To ensure accurate measurement, a white calibration plate was used for calibration before formal testing. The colorimeter displayed several values, including L*, a*, and b* values. The L* value indicates the color depth, the a* value indicates the red/green color axis and the b* value indicates the yellow/blue color axis. Both values range from − 60 to 60.

2.5 Texture

The quality of samples can be characterized by various parameters, among which the texture and physical properties of fruit samples play a crucial role in determining their taste and overall quality. After thawing for 1 hour at 4°C, texture analysis was performed on fruit samples using a texture analyzer (CTX, Brookfield Engineering Labs Inc., USA). During testing, a 2 mm penetration probe and a 10 kg weighing sensor combination were used. The test method was to test the penetrability of the sample using a constant speed setting of 1 mm/s, a trigger load of 10 g, and a download distance of 5 mm. The compression curve of the sample could be automatically read from the software to provide feedback on changes in food texture. To better evaluate changes in sample quality, parameters such as hardness and adhesiveness were calculated. The hardness of the fruit samples was defined as the maximum load value observed throughout the test cycle. Adhesiveness, on the other hand, was defined as the work done during the first cycle, from zero load to the end of the test. Each fruit sample was measured at least three times and a total of five samples were tested. The statistical analysis was performed using the average values.

2.6 Statistical analysis

As mentioned above, under the same experimental conditions, both the control group and the experimental group were subjected to five repeated experiments. To compare mean differences, a one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Duncan's test was conducted, with a significance level of p < 0.05. SPSS software (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY, USA) was used for statistical analysis, and all data were expressed as the average of at least five independent runs and plotted using Origin 2022 software.

3.1 Effect of oscillating magnetic field on supercooling of oil-sealed distilled water

First, the method reported by (Huang et al., 2018) was used to observe the supercooling degree of distilled water after nutmeg oil was sealed, and it was found that it could be stored stably at -13 °C, while at lower temperatures, it would freeze. In this study, a total of ten supercooled storage experiments were conducted at -18 °C using oil-sealed water, both with and without the application of a magnetic field. The results from all experiments remained consistent. Fig. 3 displays a typical cooling temperature curve of oil-sealed water. It reveals that oil-sealed water without OMF treatment underwent a noticeable temperature shift during the cooling process, leaping from -16 °C to -7.5 °C. However, after being treated with an OMF, oil-sealed water could remain at -18 °C for 24 hours. Additionally, Fig. 3 presents photographs of both OMF-treated and non-OMF-treated samples after 24 hours of the experiment. It could be seen that the water treated by the combination of the OMF and the oil-sealed liquid surface had not been frozen, but the water that had only been treated by the oil-sealed liquid surface was frozen. Based upon the results of the cooling curve and photo of oil-sealed water, a 6 mT/50 Hz OMF could further increase the supercooling degree of water. Therefore, this magnetic field was used in the subsequent experiment for the supercooled storage of fresh-cut fruits.

Fig. 3 Typical cooling curves and photos of oil-sealed water with and without OMF

The reason that oil-sealed water resulted in obvious supercooling could be attributed to the replacement of the water/air interface with an oil/water interface, significantly raising the energy barrier for heterogeneous crystallization at the surface, almost reaching the level of homogeneous crystallization (Huang et al., 2018). The applied magnetic field induced changes in molecular energy, altering the length and angle of hydrogen bonds in water molecules (Hu et al., 2012). This affects the reorientation, formation, and breaking of hydrogen bonds. Increased average hydrogen bond strength, resulting from the magnetic field, hinders water molecule detachment from existing molecular clusters. As a result, diffusion and binding to the solid-liquid interface become challenging, inhibiting the formation of ice crystals. Therefore, applying the magnetic field in conjunction with the oil sealing treatment further enhanced the subcooling degree of distilled water. This effect lays the foundation for the application of magnetic fields to increase the supercooling degree of fresh food.

3.2 Effect of oscillating magnetic field on supercooling of fruits

3.2.1 Cooling curve

To investigate the effect of the OMF-assisted technology in inducing continuous supercooling of fruits, three fruits were chosen as samples. The temperature of the samples was monitored and recorded for 12 hours. Each experiment used one sample and was repeated five times. Fig. 4 shows typical cooling curves with and without OMF. When there was an OMF (6 mT), the temperature of fruits could be maintained at -5 °C±0.2 °C without ice crystal nucleation. While, when there was no OMF, the temperature of fruits would undergo a sudden phase transition during cooling, resulting in freezing. The effect of increasing supercooling was consistent with the results on distilled water discussed before. This indicated that magnetic field treatment might prolong the supercooling degree of fruits by influencing cell sap in vacuoles. A previous study conducted by (Her et al., 2019) on honeydew melons found that OMF could keep a supercooled state for long periods at 8 mT (1 Hz), whose intensity and frequency were different from this study. The supercooled state of food can be affected by various factors such as the composition of the sample, the cooling rate, fluctuations in storage temperature, and humidity.

3.2.2 Weight loss

Fruits and vegetables are very easy to lose weight and water loss is the main reason. Generally, the less water loss, the higher the quality of fruits and vegetables. Table 2 shows the weight loss of fruits stored at -5 °C for 12 hours with and without an OMF. Both pears and apples exhibited significant weight loss, whereas this effect was less pronounced in cherry tomatoes, primarily due to the protective nature of the peel. The weight loss of supercooled pears with OMF was 9.78%. While that of thawed pears without OMF was 13.77%, decreasing by 29.0%, which verified the basic law that supercooling preservation results in less weight loss (Osuga et al., 2021). The data for apples presented a similar situation. The reasons for the weight loss of the two groups are not identical. The water loss observed in supercooled samples was due to the direct evaporation of water and cellular respiration when samples were exposed to the environment. As a result of the vapor pressure difference between food and the atmosphere, carbohydrates will release water during oxidation in respiration and transpiration (Zhan et al., 2012). The weight loss of frozen samples was due to the puncture of cell membranes by ice crystal growth during freezing, resulting in loss of cell fluid and shrinkage of cells (Alizadeh et al., 2007).

Table 2 Weight loss of fruits after different treatments

Group	Weight loss (%)
Pear (With OMF)	9.78±0.39^a
Pear (Without OMF)	13.77±0.82^b

Apple (With OMF)	13.74±0.63^a
Apple (Without OMF)	19.70±0.91^b
Cherry tomato (With OMF)	0.21±0.03^a
Cherry tomato (Without OMF)	0.23±0.04^b

The data presented represents the mean ± standard deviation of five samples, and dissimilar superscripts indicate a significant difference between the OMF group and the control group (p<0.05).

3.2.3 Color

The color of the food surface is a major concern for consumers (Pathare et al., 2013). The appearance of fruit samples after 12 hours of storage is presented in Fig. 5, including samples treated with OMF and those without OMF treatment, as well as the fresh samples. Table 3 displays the L*, a*, and b* values of different sample groups, with relevant data processed statistically. The samples treated with OMF remained visually fresh for an extended period without freezing occurrence. Nevertheless, the surface color of the samples treated with OMF also showed significant changes (p<0.05). The reason for the subtle difference is that due to exposure to air, the phenol oxidase released by cells undergoes oxidation with oxygen, resulting in a change in the color of the fruit (Wang et al., 2022). Compared to fresh samples, the frozen/thawed samples without OMF exhibited significant changes after 12 hours, displaying an overall poor visual appearance due to the loss of cellular fluid caused by freezing.

Fig. 5 The appearance difference of fruit samples after 12 hours under different treatment methods: (a) Pear; (b) Apple; (c) Cherry tomato

Table 3 Color parameters of fruits after different treatments

Group	L*		a*	b*
Pear (Fresh)		72.48±0.35^a	0.44±0.09^a	10.21±0.31^a
Pear (With OMF)		70.25±0.69^b	0.63±0.02^b	13.29±0.33^b
Pear (Without OMF)		35.16±1.01^c	1.45±0.17^c	7.24±0.68^c
Apple (Fresh)		77.36±1.45^a	1.93±0.11^a	19.97±1.79^a
Apple (With OMF)		70.42±0.09^b	1.85±0.05^b	29.16±0.22^b
Apple (Without OMF)		63.86±1.39^c	1.86±0.12^c	25.12±0.99^c
Cherry tomato (Fresh)		42.96±0.34^a	27.63±1.48^a	35.03±0.72^a
Cherry tomato (With OMF)		45.98±0.58^b	22.69±0.87^b	30.74±2.61^b
Cherry tomato (Without OMF)		51.6±1.76^c	22.18±1.05^c	26.35±0.48^c

The data presented represents the mean ± standard deviation of five samples, and distinct superscripts denote a significant difference (p<0.05).

3.2.4 Texture

The texture parameters, which are associated with the freshness of fruits, are shown in Table 4. The hardness and adhesiveness of the fruit showed no significant difference with the OMF treatment group, while the group without OMF showed great changes, with a decrease in hardness and an increase in adhesiveness (p＜0.05). The deterioration of the texture of frozen samples was attributed to the formation and destruction of ice crystals. Large ice crystals can puncture cell membranes, causing changes in the texture of food (Choi et al., 2015). Based on the above results, it could be inferred that OMF treatment can effectively maintain the macroscopic quality of fruits.

Table 4 Texture parameters of fresh-cut pears after different treatments

Group	Hardness (g)		Adhesiveness (mJ)
Pear (Fresh)		229.35±5.89^a	0.15±0.02^a
Pear (With OMF)		224.71±5.34^a	0.16±0.01^a
Pear (Without OMF)		169.01±9.13^b	0.36±0.05^b
Apple (Fresh)		238.6±28.3^a	0.15±0.1^a
Apple (With OMF)		226.8±15.6^a	0.16±0.04^a
Apple (Without OMF)		197±16.4^b	0.17±0.03^b
Cherry tomato (Fresh)		73.6±5.92^a	0.06±0.005^a
Cherry tomato (With OMF)		63.6±9.07^a	0.07±0.016^a
Cherry tomato (Without OMF)		32.53±6.09^b	0.05±0.008^b

The data presented represents the mean ± standard deviation of five samples, and distinct superscripts denote a significant difference (p<0.05).

This study investigated the supercooling effect of 6 mT/50 Hz OMF on oil-sealed water and fruits. The impact of OMF treatment on the quality of fruits was also examined. The main results are concluded as follows:

(1) By combining OMF and oil sealing technology, enhanced deep supercooling of water at -18°C was achieved. A single oil-sealed liquid surface could only achieve − 13°C supercooling, in contrast with the significant effect brought by OMF.

(2) By utilizing OMF treatment, fruit samples were successfully preserved in a supercooled state at -5°C for 12 hours. The findings indicated that the application of OMF technology effectively inhibited ice nucleation and prolonged the supercooling capability of fruit samples. Compared with fresh samples, OMF-treated samples had less water loss (up to 30.25% reduction) and their texture remained unchanged to a large extent. In contrast, samples without OMF had significant changes in hardness and adhesiveness.

(3) In summary, OMF (6 mT/50 Hz) treatment showed a significant effect on keeping the supercooling state of distilled water, and this effect remained effective even when OMF was applied to fruits that contain a substantial amount of water. OMF is a useful method for maintaining food supercooling and can achieve the preservation of perishable food.

Author Contribution

Fanchen Kong: Conceptualization, Methodology, Writing – original draft, Investigation. Peiru Li: Methodology, Writing – Review & Editing. Hainan Zhang: Writing – Review & Editing, Supervision. Changqing Tian: Supervision, Project Administration. Dongmei Leng: Validation. Chengli Hou: Supervision.

Funding

The authors gratefully acknowledge the financial support from the Open Project of Key Laboratory of Agro-products Quality and Safety Control in Storage and Transport Process, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, China (No. S2022KFKT-16) and National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 51976232).

Data availability statements

The datasets generated and/or analyzed during the current study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.

Conflict of Interest

The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared in the work reported in this paper.

Alizadeh, E., Chapleau, N., De Lamballerie, M., & Le-Bail, A. (2007). Effect of different freezing processes on the microstructure of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) fillets. Innovative Food Science & Emerging Technologies, 8(4), 493–499. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ifset.2006.12.003.
Charoenrein, S., & Preechathammawong, N. (2010). Undercooling associated with slow freezing and its influence on the microstructure and properties of rice starch gels. Journal of Food Engineering, 100(2), 310–314. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jfoodeng.2010.04.014.
Choi, Y. S., Ku, S. K., Jeong, J. Y., Jeon, K. H., & Kim, Y. B. (2015). Changes in ultrastructure and sensory characteristics on electro-magnetic and air blast freezing of beef during frozen storage. Korean Journal for Food Science of Animal Resources, 35(1), 27. https://doi.org/10.5851/kosfa.2015.35.1.27.
de Vries, R. J., Tessier, S. N., Banik, P. D., Nagpal, S., Cronin, S. E. J., Ozer, S., Hafiz, E. O. A., van Gulik, T. M., Yarmush, M. L., Markmann, J. F., Toner, M., Yeh, H., & Uygun, K. (2019). Supercooling extends preservation time of human livers. Nature Biotechnology, 37(10). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41587-019-0223-y. Article 10.
Erikson, U., Kjørsvik, E., Bardal, T., Digre, H., Schei, M., Søreide, T. S., & Aursand, I. G. (2016). Quality of Atlantic cod frozen in cell alive system, air-blast, and cold storage freezers. Journal of Aquatic Food Product Technology, 25(7), 1001–1020. https://doi.org/10.1080/10498850.2015.1007542.
Fukuma, Y., Yamane, A., Itoh, T., Tsukamasa, Y., & Ando, M. (2012). Application of supercooling to long-term storage of fish meat. Fisheries Science, 78, 451–461. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12562-011-0460-6.
Her, J. Y., Kang, T., Hoptowit, R., & Jun, S. (2019). Oscillating magnetic field (OMF) based supercooling preservation of fresh-cut honeydew melon. Transactions of the ASABE, 62(3), 779–785. https://doi.org/10.13031/trans.13286.
Hu, H., Hou, H., & Wang, B. (2012). Molecular Dynamics Simulations of Ice Growth from Supercooled Water When Both Electric and Magnetic Fields Are Applied. The Journal of Physical Chemistry C, 116(37), 19773–19780. https://doi.org/10.1021/jp304266d.
Huang, H., Yarmush, M. L., & Usta, O. B. (2018). Long-term deep-supercooling of large-volume water and red cell suspensions via surface sealing with immiscible liquids. Nature Communications, 9(1). Article 1. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-018-05636-0.
Hurtado-Velasco, R., & Gonzalez-Llorente, J. (2016). Simulation of the magnetic field generated by square shape Helmholtz coils. Applied Mathematical Modelling, 40(23–24), 9835–9847. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apm.2016.06.027.
Jha, P. K., Xanthakis, E., Jury, V., & Le-Bail, A. (2017). An Overview on Magnetic Field and Electric Field Interactions with Ice Crystallisation; Application in the Case of Frozen Food. Crystals, 7(10). Article 10.
Kang, T., Her, J. Y., Hoptowit, R., Wall, M. M., & Jun, S. (2019). Investigation of the effect of oscillating magnetic field on fresh-cut pineapple and agar gel as a model food during supercooling preservation. Transactions of the ASABE, 62(5), 1155–1161. https://doi.org/10.13031/trans.13285.
Kang, T., Hoptowit, R., & Jun, S. (2020). Effects of an oscillating magnetic field on ice nucleation in aqueous iron-oxide nanoparticle dispersions during supercooling and preservation of beef as a food application. Journal of Food Process Engineering, 43(11), e13525. https://doi.org/10.1111/jfpe.13525.
Kang, T., Lee, D., Ko, Y., & Jun, S. (2022). Effects of pulsed electric field (PEF) and oscillating magnetic field (OMF) on supercooling preservation of beef at different fat levels. International Journal of Refrigeration, 136, 36–45. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijrefrig.2022.01.004.
Kang, T., You, Y., Hoptowit, R., Wall, M. M., & Jun, S. (2021). Effect of an oscillating magnetic field on the inhibition of ice nucleation and its application for supercooling preservation of fresh-cut mango slices. Journal of Food Engineering, 300, 110541. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jfoodeng.2021.110541.
Kaur, M., & Kumar, M. (2020). An Innovation in Magnetic Field Assisted Freezing of Perishable Fruits and Vegetables: A Review. Food Reviews International, 36(8), 761–780. https://doi.org/10.1080/87559129.2019.1683746.
Kim, H., & Hong, G. P. (2022). Comparison of Superchilling and Supercooling on Extending the Fresh Quality of Beef Loin. Foods, 11(18), 2729. https://doi.org/10.3390/foods11182729.
Lee, S., Park, D. H., Kim, E. J., Kim, H., Lee, Y., & Choi, M. J. (2022). Development of Temperature Control Algorithm for Supercooling Storage of Pork Loin and Its Feasibility for Improving Freshness and Extending Shelf Life. Food Science of Animal Resources, 42(3), 467–485. https://doi.org/10.5851/kosfa.2022.e16.
Mercier, S., Villeneuve, S., Mondor, M., & Uysal, I. (2017). Time–Temperature Management Along the Food Cold Chain: A Review of Recent Developments. Comprehensive Reviews in Food Science and Food Safety, 16(4), 647–667. https://doi.org/10.1111/1541-4337.12269.
Mok, J. H., Her, J. Y., Kang, T., Hoptowit, R., & Jun, S. (2017). Effects of pulsed electric field (PEF) and oscillating magnetic field (OMF) combination technology on the extension of supercooling for chicken breasts. Journal of Food Engineering, 196, 27–35. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jfoodeng.2016.10.002.
Orlowska, M., Havet, M., & Le-Bail, A. (2009). Controlled ice nucleation under high voltage DC electrostatic field conditions. Food Research International, 42(7), 879–884. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodres.2009.03.015.
Osuga, R., Koide, S., Sakurai, M., Orikasa, T., & Uemura, M. (2021). Quality and microbial evaluation of fresh-cut apples during 10 days of supercooled storage. Food Control, 126, 108014. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodcont.2021.108014.
Otero, L., Pérez-Mateos, M., Rodríguez, A. C., & Sanz, P. D. (2017). Electromagnetic freezing: Effects of weak oscillating magnetic fields on crab sticks. Journal of Food Engineering, 200, 87–94. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jfoodeng.2016.12.018.
Otero, L., & Pozo, A. (2022). Effects of the application of static magnetic fields during potato freezing. Journal of Food Engineering, 316, 110838. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jfoodeng.2021.110838.
Otero, L., Rodríguez, A. C., & Sanz, P. D. (2020). Effect of the frequency of weak oscillating magnetic fields on supercooling and freezing kinetics of pure water and 0.9% NaCl solutions. Journal of Food Engineering, 273, 109822. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jfoodeng.2019.109822.
Park, D. H., Kim, E. J., & Choi, M. J. (2023). Supercooling phenomena in protein based food matrix composed of various fat, salt, and water contents. Food Bioscience, 51, 102274. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fbio.2022.102274.
Park, D. H., Lee, S., Kim, E. J., Jo, Y. J., & Choi, M. J. (2022). Development of a Stepwise Algorithm for Supercooling Storage of Pork Belly and Chicken Breast and Its Effect on Freshness. Foods, 11(3), 380. https://doi.org/10.3390/foods11030380.
Pathare, P. B., Opara, U. L., & Al-Said, F. A. J. (2013). Colour measurement and analysis in fresh and processed foods: A review. Food and Bioprocess Technology, 6, 36–60. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11947-012-0867-9.
Prickett, R. C., Marquez-Curtis, L. A., Elliott, J. A. W., & McGann, L. E. (2015). Effect of supercooling and cell volume on intracellular ice formation. Cryobiology, 70(2), 156–163. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cryobiol.2015.02.002.
Rodríguez, A. C., James, C., & James, S. J. (2017). Effects of Weak Oscillating Magnetic Fields on the Freezing of Pork Loin. Food and Bioprocess Technology, 10(9), 1615–1621. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11947-017-1931-2.
Stonehouse, G. G., & Evans, J. A. (2015). The use of supercooling for fresh foods: A review. Journal of Food Engineering, 148, 74–79. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jfoodeng.2014.08.007.
Sultana, T., Lee, J. I., Park, J. H., & Lee, S. (2018). Supercooling storage for the transplantable sources from the rat and the rabbit: A preliminary report. Transplantation Proceedings, 50(4), 1178–1182. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.transproceed.2018.01.046.
Tang, J., Zhang, H., Tian, C., & Shao, S. (2020). Effects of different magnetic fields on the freezing parameters of cherry. Journal of Food Engineering, 278, 109949. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jfoodeng.2020.109949.
Wan, L., Powell-Palm, M. J., Lee, C., Gupta, A., Weegman, B. P., Clemens, M. G., & Rubinsky, B. (2018). Preservation of rat hearts in subfreezing temperature isochoric conditions to–8 C and 78 MPa. Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications, 496(3), 852–857. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bbrc.2018.01.140.
Wang, H., Iqbal, A., Murtaza, A., Xu, X., Pan, S., & Hu, W. (2022). A Review of Discoloration in Fruits and Vegetables: Formation Mechanisms and Inhibition. Food Reviews International, 1–22. https://doi.org/10.1080/87559129.2022.2119997.
Zhang, L., Yang, Z., & Deng, Q. (2021). Effects of pulsed magnetic field on freezing kinetics and physical properties of water and cucumber tissue fluid. Journal of Food Engineering, 288, 110149. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jfoodeng.2020.110149.
Zhou, Z., Zhao, H., & Han, J. (2012). Supercooling and crystallization of water under DC magnetic fields. CIESC J, 63(5), 1408–1410. 10.3969/j.issn.0438-1157.2012.05.012. https://hgxb.cip.com.cn/EN/.

No competing interests reported.

Download PDF

Editorial decision: Revision requested
02 Feb, 2024
Reviews received at journal
02 Jan, 2024
Reviews received at journal
02 Jan, 2024
Reviewers agreed at journal
25 Dec, 2023
Reviewers agreed at journal
19 Dec, 2023
Reviewers invited by journal
19 Dec, 2023
Editor assigned by journal
15 Dec, 2023
Submission checks completed at journal
14 Dec, 2023
First submitted to journal
09 Dec, 2023

You are reading this latest preprint version

Enhanced Supercooling of Water with a 6 mT/50 Hz Oscillating Magnetic Field and Its Application in Fruit Preservation

Status:

Version 1

Abstract

Figures

1 Introduction

2 Materials and methods

2.1 Sample preparation

2.1.1 Water

2.1.2 Fruits

2.2 Experimental setup

2.3 Weight loss

2.4 Color

2.5 Texture

2.6 Statistical analysis

3 Results and discussion

4 Conclusion

Declarations

References

Additional Declarations

Status:

Version 1