Abstract:In order to explore the effect of high-voltage electrostatic field (HVEF) technology on the quality of prawns (Metapenaeus ensis) during cold storage, three high voltages (8 kV, 12 kV, 16 kV) were selected under the experimental conditions of this study to treat the prawn continuously under low temperature storage conditions at 4 ℃, and the changes in of freshness indices such as color, texture, pH value, TVB-N value, TBA value and total number of colonies were measured on day 0, 2, 4, and 6 of the storage. The results showed that the samples in the HVEF treatment group showed better color and texture characteristics, and delayed effectively the decrease in hardness. Compared with the control group, HVEF treatment inhibited effectively the microbial growth in prawn and led to a decrease by 0.51~1.03 log?cfu/g. The TVB-N value of the control group exceeded 30 mg/100 g on the 4th day, while that of the 16 kV electric field group was only 24.67 mg/100 g on the 6th day, indicating that the HVEF treatment can effectively delay protein degradation. Other freshness indicators such as pH and TBA of the HVEF treatment group were significantly lower than those of the control group during the whole storage period (p<0.05). In addition, as the voltage value increased, the preservative effect was better. Comprehensive comparative analysis shows that the high-voltage electrostatic field has a good preservation effect on prawn, and its combination with refrigeration can extend the shelf life of the prawn by more than 2 days. This study provides a scientific basis for the improvement of high-voltage electrostatic field preservation equipment for keeping prawn fresh.
