Tempering and defrosting processes : what are the impacts on the technological quality of the raw material and the taste and texture properties of dry sausages ?

Agribusiness is increasingly turning to freezing as a means of food conservation in order to streamline the production resources. This study was focused on dry sausage (raw material and finished product) with the objective of comparing four tempering/defrosting processes (the traditional way in a cooler, in barrels, by microwave, and by high-frequency) in order to determine their impacts on the product’s technological characteristics. The results were unable to definitively conclude which of the processes was able to optimize the technological processability of the raw sausage material. There was only a low or even negligible impact on the finished products (dry sausage) themselves.The defrosting protocols employed make it possible to transpose these results to industrial settings.