Abstract: The objective of the study was to investigate the effect of radio frequency parameters on the thawing time and the uniformity. During the radio frequency thawing of frozen chicken breast at 27.12 MHz and 6 kW, the effects of operating parameters such as electrode gap (8, 9, 10, and 11 cm), voltage (70%, 75%, and 80%) and sample thickness (4, 5, and 6 cm) on the pattern of temperature rise and the uniformity were examined. The results showed that with decreasing electrode gap and increasing voltage and sample thickness, the temperature rise accelerated and the uniformity index decreased. The optimum parameters were determined as 9 cm and 75% for electrode gap and voltage, respectively based on the thawing time and temperature distribution. Compared with thawing at ambient temperature (20 ℃, 6 h), the thawing time with radio frequency was shortened to 54.67 min, and the total viable count, the drip loss and total volatile basic nitrogen (T-VBN) content were significantly reduced (P < 0.05). The results of this study provide a theoretical basis and technical support for the practical application of radio frequency technology in the field of meat thawing.

Key words: radio frequency; chicken breast; thawing; process parameters; quality