Applying biochemical and physiological principles in the industrial freezing of vegetables: a case study on carrots
We review here the potential benefits of metabolic changes in carrots upon cold stress, a process known as cold acclimation, for the enhancement of quality upon freezing. The damaging action of a previous blanching operation is discussed and the alternative of using mild blanching treatments to minimise tissue damage is reviewed. Blanching treatments, aimed at inactivating enzymes near the surface