Effects of magnetic field-assisted liquid carbon dioxide spray freezing on the quality of honeydew melon

The effectiveness of static magnetic fields with different intensities (5, 10, 15 mT) combined with liquid carbon dioxide spray freezing (LCSF) technique in improving the quality of frozen honeydew melon was investigated. The results showed that LCSF with magnetic fields above 10 mT significantly improved ice nucleation and quality of frozen melons compared to conventional −20 °C freezing, −80 °C freezing and LCSF method without magnetic field assistance (P < 0.05). 15 mT strength static magnetic field assistance suggested the best results, with a 15.0% reduction in total freezing time, 17.7% increase in average freezing rate, 26.6% reduction in drip loss, and better maintenance of sample quality compared to LCSF. These findings demonstrate that LCSF with static magnetic field assistance is promising in improving the quality of frozen foods.