The meat thawing process is a vital stage at an industrial level, since it influences the characteristics of the food and can affect its safety and quality. It is a challenging operation for the industry and this is where the role of new technologies is key. Through innovation, products and technologies are developed that seek quality and food safety. In this area, the radiofrequency defrosting process is at the forefront. Traditional defrosting methods cause a number of problems related to heat transfer, which is a slow mechanism. In fact, the larger the size of the product, the longer it takes for the defrosting process. The direct consequence is a long delay between the withdrawal of the product from the cold store and the next phase. This also increases the chance for bacteria to grow and leads to high drip losses, causing changes in meat texture and significant economic loss. The traditional process cannot be accelerated by increasing the temperature, as this can cause high deterioration on the surface of the meat. Since the heat necessary for defrosting is supplied by air, water or steam in treatment rooms or equipment with large surfaces in contact with the environment, the speed of the process is affected by external environmental conditions, which are difficult to control. check.

These disadvantages can be avoided thanks to the ability of radiofrequency to quickly generate volumetric heat within the meat, providing great benefits such as:

• Thawing is achieved in a few minutes instead of hours or even days.
• The speed and uniformity of the process minimize the risk of the meat spoiling and help preserve its eating qualities.
• Thanks to the high speed of the process, radiofrequency thawing can be carried out continuously, with significant logistical advantages in handling and scheduling production, which can be organized on a “just-in-time” basis.