{"id":464,"date":"2026-10-01T07:05:31","date_gmt":"2026-09-30T22:05:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/magazine.samsammulsan.com\/glossary\/what-is-thaw-drip-why-frozen-seafood-loses-moisture\/"},"modified":"2026-10-02T11:05:43","modified_gmt":"2026-10-02T02:05:43","slug":"what-is-thaw-drip-why-frozen-seafood-loses-moisture","status":"publish","type":"glossary","link":"https:\/\/magazine.samsammulsan.com\/en\/glossary\/what-is-thaw-drip-why-frozen-seafood-loses-moisture\/","title":{"rendered":"What is Thaw Drip? Why Frozen Seafood Loses Moisture"},"content":{"rendered":"

Thaw drip (drip loss) refers to the water and water-soluble components that leak out of the tissue when frozen seafood is thawed. Since the liquid collected in the packaging may also contain melted surface glaze or water added during processing, calculating the total amount as tissue drip can lead to confusion between the labeled weight and the actual usable yield.<\/p>\n

\"Stainless<\/p>\n

The thawing stage of the Eoriguljeot (salted and fermented oyster) manufacturing process provided by Samsam Co., Ltd. This is not test data proving specific thawing conditions or drip\/yield figures.
Photo credit: Samsam Co., Ltd. \u00b7 <\/a>Original provided by the company<\/a><\/p>\n

Causes of Drip and Scope of Interpretation<\/h2>\n

When moisture in seafood freezes, ice crystals form, and salts and proteins become concentrated in the remaining liquid. If the freezing rate is slow or storage temperatures fluctuate, ice crystal growth, protein changes, and tissue damage increase, which can weaken the ability to retain moisture during thawing.[1]<\/a>[2]<\/a> However, drip is influenced by a combination of raw material condition, pretreatment, storage period, packaging, temperature history, and thawing\/weighing conditions. Because so many factors are involved, an IQF label alone is not enough to guarantee low drip. The section on Differences between IQF and Block Freezing<\/a> explains the distinctions in freezing formats and units of use.<\/p>\n

Distinguishing Three Types of Water and Test Objectives<\/h2>\n
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Classification<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

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Source Location<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

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Related Assessment<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

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Glaze Meltwater<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

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Surface Protective Ice Film<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

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Labeled Net Weight Test<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

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Tissue Drip<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

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Inside Oyster Tissue<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

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Thaw Yield and Quality Changes<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

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Wash\/Thaw Water<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

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Water Added During Processing<\/p>\n<\/td>\n

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Consistency of Test Conditions<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n

Domestic guidelines for testing the content of frozen seafood also advise caution to prevent product drip from escaping when removing the ice film.[3]<\/a> Use the weight in a frozen state after removing the glaze<\/a> to review the labeled net weight, and use the weight after complete thawing and draining to evaluate the usable amount after processing. Do not substitute these two values for each other.<\/p>\n

Record Thaw Yield Along with Test Conditions<\/h2>\n

Thaw yield can be calculated as: ‘Weight after thawing and draining under identical conditions \u00f7 Reference weight after glaze removal \u00d7 100’. For example, if the reference weight is 1,000g and the weight after thawing and draining is 910g, the yield for that test is 91%. The 90g difference may be affected by residual surface water or handling loss, so it should not be assumed to be entirely tissue drip.<\/p>\n