The original Plank equation and its use in the development of food freezing rate predictions Original Research Article

A large number of methods to predict freezing and thawing times for foodstuffs have been proposed. Normally the original Plank equation is used as the starting point, but since this equation does not include the times below and above the freezing itself, several attempts have been made to improve it by adding new terms and parameters, to make it suitable for the entire freezing process. In this paper, Plank’s equation and how it has been interpreted and modified by different scientists during the years is reviewed and discussed. We assess as well several of these models, by comparing the values they predict with experimental freezing times available for the same experimental conditions. Two software programs are also included in the analyses: a commercial package and an own developed software which follows the entire freezing process by a simple geometrical iterative approach.