In summary, results obtained in the present work are promissory
for the application of freezing and thawing processes using high pressure. Although negative effects exist — especially on protein
structures and muscle color — other beneficial ones can be obtained
using these technologies. Improvement on the cellular integrity due to
smaller ice crystal achieved by pressure shift freezing was maintained
during the overall frozen storage time. Although an important protein
denaturation is produced by the high-pressure treatment, after frozen
storage differences between conventional and high-pressure treated
samples decreased due to a denaturation and aggregation process in
conventionally frozen muscle. It is important to mention that, after
cooking, important functional properties of the muscle such as the
water holding capacity did not present differences between the
different technology combinations. In conclusion, high-pressure treatments are an interesting alternative to the fish freezing and
thawing. Their successful application will depend on the posterior
processing and requirements for the fish muscle.