Freeze Without Losing Quality, the Hidden Power of Radish Proteins

Researchers have discovered proteins in radishes that can protect frozen foods, preserving texture and flavor. The innovation promises to revolutionize food, making freezing more efficient and healthier for consumers.

Ice, radish
The radish (Raphanus sativus), one of the oldest plants cultivated by humans, now reveals a new potential: providing natural proteins capable of protecting food from freezing damage.

Have you ever thought that the simple act of freezing food can compromise its texture, flavor, and quality? This has long been a challenge for the food industry, and now scientists from East China Normal University and the Beijing Institute of Science and Technology have found an innovative solution: natural proteins that "hug" the ice.

Recently published in the journal Science of Food, the study identified two special proteins in radish (Raphanus sativus) that promise to revolutionize the preservation of frozen pasta and other products.

With the growth of the frozen food market, especially in an increasingly urban and fast-paced world, finding methods that better preserve product quality is a priority.

Traditional techniques, based on sugars or chemical compounds, present significant limitations. They can be toxic at high doses or alter the taste of food. This is where the proteins COR15B and COR47 come in, developed with the help of biotechnology and offering a safe, effective, and natural alternative.

The Discovery of Radish Proteins

The researchers began by studying varieties of radishes grown in China, looking for plants that naturally survive cold climates well. After exposing the seedlings to low temperatures and analyzing their genes, they identified two proteins: COR15B and COR47. Both have shown the ability to bind to ice crystals, preventing their uncontrolled growth—one of the main causes of damage in frozen foods.

Radish, proteins
Radish varieties exposed to cold have revealed proteins capable of binding to ice crystals, preventing structural damage in frozen foods.

To produce these proteins on a large scale, scientists used the bacterium Bacillus subtilis, already widely used in the industry for being safe and easy to manipulate. By adjusting growth conditions, they were able to produce sufficient quantities of the proteins to test them in food, paving the way for commercial applications.

How the Proteins Protect Food

The identified proteins act in a very intelligent way. They adhere to the surfaces of ice crystals, preventing them from growing and forming sharp structures that rupture food cells. This means that products like pasta, bread, and frozen noodles can maintain:

  • Softer and more consistent texture after thawing;
  • Better water retention, avoiding dry food;
  • Greater dough fermentation capacity;
  • Reduced need for chemical additives.

In tests, pasta treated with the COR15B protein, in particular, showed quality nearly equal to that of fresh products, even after 10 freeze-thaw cycles.

Impacts and Future Outlook

Although the study was conducted in China, its implications are global, as the consumption of frozen products increases year after year. The adoption of natural proteins to improve food preservation would be especially relevant in tropical countries, where cold chains are not always perfect and maintaining product quality is a constant challenge.

Frozen food
The use of natural proteins to protect frozen foods could bring major benefits to tropical countries like Brazil, where climate and infrastructure challenge product quality.

Additionally, there is potential for using these proteins in other sectors, such as probiotics, frozen fruits, and even medications that need to be stored at low temperatures. Innovation based on IBPs (ice-binding proteins) could be key to making frozen foods healthier, tastier, and more affordable, with a direct impact on food security and waste reduction.

The future of frozen foods, it seems, will be more natural and technological at the same time, and the humble radish could be one of the key players in this transformation.

News Reference

Identification of ice-binding proteins from Raphanus sativus and application in frozen dough. April 24, 2025. Zhao, et al.

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