Evaluación de los efectos de la congelación criogénica en frutas
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La congelación criogénica se presenta como una de las técnicas más eficientes para la conservación de frutas, ya que permite prolongar su vida útil preservando así sus características sensoriales y nutricionales. Su efectividad radica en la formación de cristales de hielo pequeños y uniformes que mantienen la estructura celular, reduciendo daños físicos, limitando la actividad microbiana y enzimática. Su éxito depende de factores como la velocidad de congelación, el tipo de fruta, tiempo de almacenamiento y el proceso de descongelación. En el mango, los métodos de congelación rápida como el Individual Quick Freezing (IQF) han demostrado conservar mejor la textura, color y antioxidantes en comparación con técnicas convencionales, mientras que en los arándanos la aplicación de nitrógeno líquido permite mantener altos niveles de vitamina C y firmeza, aunque puede provocar fracturas superficiales si no se controla el proceso. En kiwis, los efectos varían de acuerdo con el contenido de sólidos solubles y la zona del fruto, influyendo en la resistencia al frío y el nivel de daño estructural; por su parte, en el durián la criogenia ha demostrado ser más eficaz que la congelación tradicional, preservando por mayor tiempo la calidad interna y externa del fruto. Tecnologías emergentes como el ultrasonido, la alta presión, los campos magnéticos y el uso de crioprotectores, especialmente nanopartículas de polisacáridos, potencian esta técnica al reducir la recristalización y optimizar la estabilidad de las frutas durante la congelación y descongelación, lo que convierte a la criogenización en una herramienta estratégica para la industria alimentaria moderna.
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