Effects of high-voltage electrostatic field treatment on the thawing rate and post-thawing quality of frozen rabbit meat

•HVEF thawing could shorten the thawing time of frozen rabbit meat by 60%.•HVEF thawing resulted in 0.5–1.7log reductions in the number of microorganisms.•− 20 kV HVEF thawing led to less denaturation of the myofibrillar proteins.•There were few differences in moisture mobility between the meat samples thawed using different methods.

The thawing rate and post-thawing quality of frozen rabbit meat after the use of high-voltage electrostatic fields (HVEFs) were investigated in this study. The thawing efficiency could be significantly improved at voltages of − 15, − 20 or − 25 kV, and HVEF treatment resulted in 0.5–1.7log reductions in the number of microorganisms. The rabbit meat thawed at − 20 kV had optimal qualities, including a high water-holding capacity (WHC) and good texture quality. Although there were structural alterations of the myoglobin treated at − 20 kV HVEF, the sarcoplasmic protein solubility was not reduced. Additionally, the − 20 kV HVEF treatment led to less denaturation of the myofibrillar proteins than with still air thawing, as demonstrated by the actin denaturation enthalpy (− 0.26 ± 0.085 and − 0.12 ± 0.040 J/g, respectively). Finally, thawing at − 20 kV HVEF had little influence on the relaxation of water, including the water mobility, in rabbit meat.Industrial relevanceThis study found that HVEF thawing could shorten thawing time by 60%. Moreover, compared with air thawing, − 20 kV HVEF thawing led to less denaturation of the myofibrillar proteins, which is very important for further processing in the rabbit meat industry.