Nguyễn Hà Đăng Huy – B2107482 – M01

HOMEWORK – NS305H

A. Short answer below sentences

1. Two most factors have to control when cold storage of vegetables?

 Temperature: Most vegetables should be stored at temperatures between 0°C

and 5°C to slow down enzymatic and microbial activity that causes spoilage. For some
cold-sensitive vegetables like cucumbers and tomatoes, slightly higher temperatures
(around 10°C) are ideal to prevent chilling injury that can damage their texture and
flavor.
 Humidity: Maintaining a relative humidity (RH) of 85–95% is crucial to
prevent water loss from vegetables, which leads to wilting and weight loss. High
humidity helps vegetables retain their crispness and freshness, but excessive humidity
can promote fungal growth, so proper ventilation is essential to strike a balance.

2. The equipment or method is used for cooling of products, mechanisms and

factory machinery under control temperature

- Refrigeration systems: These systems use refrigerants to extract heat from the
products and machinery, maintaining low temperatures.
- Chillers: Chillers are specifically designed to cool liquids or air, which can then
be used to cool products or machinery.
- Ice machines: Ice can be used to directly cool products or to lower the
temperature of storage rooms

3. The best method to using for storage of fish during harvest? Explain

Direct icing: Rapid cooling with ice helps retain freshness, slow decomposition, and
inhibit bacterial growth. It should be frozen at a temperature of -18°C or lower to
preserve its quality.
4. What is the ideal chilled temperature for food?

The ideal chilled temperature for food storage is between 0°C and 5°C. This
temperature range effectively inhibits the growth of most microorganisms, including
bacteria and fungi, by slowing down their metabolic processes. Additionally, the
enzymatic activity responsible for the degradation of food products, such as lipid
oxidation and protein hydrolysis, is significantly reduced at these temperatures. This
helps maintain food quality and safety for extended periods.
Storing food in this temperature range ensures that harmful pathogens, which thrive
at higher temperatures, remain dormant, minimizing the risk of foodborne illnesses. It
also preserves the sensory and nutritional properties of perishable items like dairy,
meat, fruits, and vegetables

5. The process commonly applied to tissue system of fruit and vegetables prior to

freezing to inactivate enzyme.

Blanching: A heat treatment using hot water or steam to inactivate enzymes, it

helps preserve the color, flavor, and nutritional value of the food, while also
preventing the growth of bacteria and mold during freezing.

6. Why are freezing temperature of foods smaller 0oC?

Due to the presence of solutes (such as salts, sugars, and proteins), which lower the
freezing point of water in foods. These substances lower the freezing point of water in
the food, preventing it from freezing at 0°C. This is known as the freezing point
depression. As a result, food requires temperatures below 0°C to freeze completely.
7. The freezing time (from point C to point F) in the freezing curve (below graph)
can be used to calculate the working time of freezer, or no? Why?

Yes, the freezing time from point C to point F in the graph can be used to estimate
the working time of the freezer. This period represents the time it takes for the food to
go through the freezing phase, where the temperature decreases significantly. It
accounts for the latent heat removal and the time required to freeze the food
completely. Understanding this time helps optimize freezer operations, calculate
energy consumption, and determine the freezer's efficiency. The freezing time is a
critical factor for estimating both the operational capacity and performance of a
freezing system.
8. Crystal growth can occur at constant temperatures; however, the temperature
falls slightly from C to F (above graph). Explain.

The slight drop in temperature from C to F for a typical food occurs because, as
water in the food freezes into ice, the remaining liquid becomes richer in solutes (like
sugars or salts). This process, called freeze concentration, lowers the freezing point of
the remaining solution. Unlike pure water, which freezes at a constant temperature,
food requires additional cooling for the remaining water to freeze.
This gradual temperature drop also reflects the food's complex composition, which
slows down crystallization as the liquid becomes more viscous and harder to freeze
fully.

9. Heat supply from C to F? Why temperature of C to F decerase? Why

temperature of point E increase?

During the freezing process, the supply of heat is primarily directed towards the
removal of latent heat of fusion (the energy required to change a substance from a
liquid to a solid without changing its temperature). From point C to point F, the food
loses heat, but the temperature remains relatively stable while the ice forms.
10. From the freezing curve below, please show the stage of water in food at the
point B.

At point S, the water is still in a state although the temperature is

lower than the freezing point. This phenomenon is called the phenomenon of
supercooling. The corresponding temperature at point S is called the supercooling
temperature. The supercooling point can be lower than 10oC so there is a starting point
for freezing.
11. When the crystallization process takes for long time, the size of crystal is small
or large? Explain?

When the crystallization process takes a long time, the size of the crystals formed is
generally large due to the relationship between the growth dynamics and nucleation
rate. Slow crystallization typically leads to a lower nucleation rate, meaning fewer
initial crystal "seeds" are formed. With fewer seeds competing for available material,
more resources can be allocated to the growth of each crystal. As a result, the crystals
that do form have the opportunity to grow larger and more well-structured. This
highlights how the rate of crystallization directly influences the size and quality of the
crystals.
Characteristics of slow freezing:
 Rates of cooling of less than 1°C/min
 Ice crystals form in extracellular locations
 Large ice crystals formation
 Maximum dislocation of water
 Shrinkage (shrunk appearance of cells in frozen state)
Less than maximum attainable food quality

12. Slow freezing was applied in these cases?

 Typically used for products not sensitive to structure, such as large meat cuts or
foods requiring extended freezing times.
 Foods with high sugar content: Slow freezing allows for smaller ice crystal
formation, helping to maintain texture and flavor.
 Foods with high water content: Slow freezing can reduce the formation of large
ice crystals, which may damage the food's cell structure.
13. Components added to fruits prior freezing to protect their quality?

Before freezing, certain components such as sugar, ascorbic acid (Vitamin C), citric
acid, and blanching are often added to fruits to protect their quality). Because sugar
helps maintain texture and flavor, while ascorbic acid and citric acid prevent browning
and preserve color. Blanching helps stop enzymatic activity, preserving the texture and
flavor of the fruit. These methods help maintain the quality of fruits during freezing.
14. The most importance issue has to control when frozen storage of fish and
meat?

The most critical issue when storing fish and meat in frozen conditions is
maintaining a stable, low temperature. Fluctuations in temperature can cause ice
crystals to form and melt, leading to quality degradation, particularly in fish, where
this can result in freezer burn and loss of texture. For fish, protein denaturation and fat
oxidation can also occur at higher storage temperatures, leading to spoilage. The best
practice is to store frozen products at temperatures as low as possible (- 1°C to +1°C)
to slow these biochemical processes and preserve quality

15. The equipment is used to freeze food at a tremendously fast rate.

 Blast freezers: Rapidly freeze food to minimize large ice crystal formation.
 Plate freezers: Use metal plates to quickly extract heat from the food.
 Fluidized bed freezers: Use a bed of cold air to freeze the food rapidly.
 Immersion freezers: Submerge food in a cold liquid, such as liquid nitrogen, for
quick freezing.
16. What will happen if the supercooling temperature is low?

If the supercooling temperature is too low, rapid freezing may lead to large ice
crystals forming and damage to the food's cell structure. Foods may also become
brittle and prone to cracking due to dense, small ice crystals.
17. The equipment is the best used to freeze particulate foods like peas, cut corn.

The best equipment for freezing particulate foods like peas or cut corn is typically
Individual Quick Freezing (IQF) units. These machines rapidly freeze individual
pieces of food, ensuring that they do not clump together. IQF systems use cold air or
cryogenic methods to freeze food quickly, preserving its texture and preventing the
formation of large ice crystals, which is crucial for maintaining the quality of small,
delicate items like vegetables and fruits.

18. Cause of freeze burn when frozen storage.

 Freezer burn occurs when frozen food is exposed to air, leading to the evaporation
of moisture from the surface of the food. This process dehydrates the food and causes
ice crystals to form. Over time, this can change the food's texture, flavor, and color.
Common causes include improper packaging, where air is allowed to contact the food,
fluctuating freezer temperatures, frequent door opening, or storing food for extended
periods.

19. How to control quick freezing?

To control quick freezing:

 Maintain low temperature (below -18°C).

 Use blast freezers to speed up freezing.
 Increase airflow for faster heat transfer.
 Tightly package products to reduce moisture loss.
 Pre-chill products to shorten freezing time.

20. In case of using dicrectly ice to cooling of food?

Using direct ice for cooling food is an effective method to quickly reduce the
temperature of freshly cooked or harvested food, helping preserve its quality. When
ice is used, it absorbs heat from the food rapidly, which prevents the growth of
bacteria and minimizes the loss of nutrients. This method is particularly useful for
products that require immediate chilling, such as seafood, meat, or dairy, where rapid
cooling helps maintain texture, color, and flavor. However, direct contact with ice
should be managed carefully to avoid excess moisture, which could compromise the
food's quality, especially in frozen storage

B. Excercises

1. Determine ratio of unfrozen water during freezing process of fruit (83% water)
at the temperature of -12oC; solute composition of fruit is 50% sucrose, 50%
glucose.
ANSWER
 Depend on the theory: mw = 83g; ms = 17g (the solute composition of fruit is 50%
sucrose, 50% glucose) → msucrose = 8,5g and mglucose = 8,5g; Msucrose = 342 g/mol,
Mglucose = 180 g/mol.
6003
ln(Xu) = 8,314 × 273 −[ 1
(−12 )+ 273
1
]
⇨ Xu = 0,886 (mol)

mu mu mu
Mw 18 18
Xu =
mu ms
= mu 8 , 5 8 ,5
↔ 0,886 =
mu 8 , 5 8 ,5
⇨ mu = 10,08 (g)
+ + + + +
Mw Ms 18 342 180 18 342 180

mu 10 ,08
⇨ The ratio of unfrozen water at the temperature of -12oC is: = = 12,14%
mw 83

Depend on the calculate, the unfrozen water ratio at -12oC is less than 14%,
indicating that the product is safe, as the free water is insufficient to support
microbial growth.

2. Cherry with sphere from of 28 mm diameter, hc = 30 W.m2K, T0 = 20oC, T = -

10oC, T∞ = -30oC, ρ = 1100 kg/m3, λ fusion = 333.22 kJ/kg, moisture content = 83%,
kf = 1.112 (W/m.K), TF = -1.22oC. Find freezing time using Plank’s equation.
ANSWER
Assumption: Cherry as sphere, P’ and R’ depend on diameter → a = 28mm =
0,028m; P’ = 1/6; R’ = 1/24

[ ]
J
1100 ×333 , 22× 1000( ) 1 1
[ ]
2
ρf × λfusion ( product ) P ' a R' a2 kJ × 0,028 ×0,028
tf = + = 6 24
T F −T a h kf s +
[−1, 22−(−30)] × 3600( ) 30 1,112
h
= 0,65 (hour)

The time for the cherry to reduce to 83% moisture content is:

Tf × 83% = 0,65 × 83% = 0,54 (hour)

So, the time for the cherry to reduce to 75% moisture content, depend on the calculate,
is 0,54 hour.