This study investigated the effects of a high-voltage electrostatic field (HVEF) on the freezing behavior and quality maintenance of pork tenderloin. Based on the freezing behavior of deionized water (DW) under both AC and DC conditions, the freezing of pork samples using DC treatment was examined. It was found that the freezing point (T-m) and phase-transition time (crystallization time, t(c)) of the meat varied with increasing voltage. The water-holding capacity of samples treated by 10 kV exceeded that of the control group, which was proven using low-field nuclear calorimetry (LF-NMR) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The total area of ice crystal for the cross sections of pork tenderloin treated with 10 kV HVEF was much smaller than that without HVEF. Microstructural observations indicated that freezing assisted by 10 kV HVEF was superior to freezing without HVEF in maintaining the quality of frozen pork. (C) 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.