Microbiological comparison of microwave and traditional thawing processes for poultry meat

Abstract

Health agencies official has been convinced of the efficiency of microwave based process mainly due to its
bactericidal property and safety (non-ionizing radiation). However, many biotechnological aspects of this new
method are still unknown and have raised safety concerns. This study aimed to validate the application of the
thawing process of a large poultry meat block under high frequency microwave oven (2.45 Ghz within 60 s).
Compared to the traditional thawing method (4°C for 48 h), we combined a visual observation and bacteriological
analysis. The microwave thawing process was clearly faster than the conventional process, by at least three
times. Both microwaved samples and control samples complied with the standard requirements, even after five
weeks of microbial-screening of total mesophilic flora, fecal coliforms, sulfite-reducing anaerobic,
Staphylococcus aureus and Salmonella. In the exposure to microwave, there was also less loss of water
compared to the traditional method (2.33±0.21 l < 3.45±0.21 l). Although it showed overheating signs due to the
high frequency used, it did not compromise the shelf life of the product. We validated the microbial-safety of the
microwave thawing process; however, adjusting the frequency would result in better quality output and alleviate
side effects in the frozen poultry.
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