Journal of food science and technology(Iran)

Journal of food science and technology(Iran)

Experimental Study on Chicken meat Thawing Using Hybrid High-Voltage Electric Field and Infrared Technology: Investigating the Effects of Reflector Configuration and Infrared Source Distance

Document Type : Original Article

Authors
Mohsen Dalvi-Isfahan 1
Hamid Khafajeh 2
1 Assistant professor, Department of Food Science and Technology, Faculty of Agriculture, Jahrom University, Jahrom, Iran.
2 Department of Mechanical Engineering of Biosystems, Jahrom University, P.O. Box 74135-111, Jahrom, Iran
10.48311/fsct.2026.119582.83083
Abstract
The thawing process of chicken is recognized as one of the critical stages in the food supply chain. In this study, to overcome the limitations of conductive heat transfer, the performance of a hybrid system consisting of infrared radiation (250 W) and an electric field (6/7 kV/cm) was evaluated for thawing frozen chicken. The studied variables included reflector type and the radiation source distance at three levels. Their effects on thermal kinetics, specific energy consumption, weight loss, and color parameters were assessed. The results showed that the optical properties of the reflector play a significant role in the uniformity of heat flux. The matte reflector, by producing diffuse reflection, reduced the thawing time to approximately 12 minutes and decreased energy consumption to 13 kJ/g, while preventing hot spot formation and preserving surface lightness. In contrast, the mesh reflector increased the process time to about 22 minutes due to greater energy losses. Moreover, the higher intensity of radiative heat transfer in the matte reflector resulted in the greatest weight loss, whereas the mesh reflector, with milder heating, exhibited the lowest weight loss. Evaluation of the radiation source distance also revealed a nonlinear behavior dependent on the view factor. A distance of 14 cm led to thermal saturation and deterioration of color quality, while a distance of 17 cm provided a balance between radiation intensity and heat penetration, preserving color and minimizing weight loss. Overall, the combination of a matte reflector and a 17 cm distance provided the most efficient ecothermodynamic conditions.
Keywords
: Thawing
Electric Field
Infrared
Chicken Meat
Tissue Quality
Specific Energy Consumption
Subjects
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Journal of food science and technology(Iran)
Volume 23, Issue 175 - Serial Number 175
September 2026
Pages 271-284