Effects of different pretreating technologies on thawed areca fruits were studied in this paper. In the microwave treatment, the best result was obtained when the fruits were treated for 30 s in a 446 W microwave oven. Blanching in 0.5% sodium bicarbonate solution or water had no effect on prevention of the color change in the thawed fruit. Better results were observed when soaking fruits in 2.0% sodium bi-sulfite solution for 20 or 30 min, or in 2.5% citric acid (CA) solution for 15 min. The negative pressure treatment of fruits in the presence of 2.5% CA solution, combined with vacuum sealing gave the best result in retaining thawed fruit color. However, freezing in an icebox can cause larger change of fruit texture than in liquid nitrogen. (C) 2003 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.