Showcases of modern grocery stores and supermarkets cannot be imagined without departments with frozen products. Manufacturers of semi-finished products subject various types of food products to special processing, which allows them to maintain gastronomic qualities for a long time. For the producers themselves, shock freezing is beneficial, primarily for economic reasons. And this is exactly the case when the financial feasibility of using new technologies for processing products completely coincides with the needs of the consumer.
Description of shock freezing technology
The freezing process involves several stages, during which the product is exposed to temperature effects in different modes. The first stage involves cooling in the range from 20 to 0 °C. It is important to note that the decrease in the temperature of the product occurs in proportion to the amount of work aimed at taking its heat. The second stage involves the transition from a liquid to a solid state. In this case, the temperature can drop to -5 °C. At this stage, shock freezing also provides heat removal, but at the same time, liquid fractions in the product also crystallize. This stage can be calledfreezing. The final stage provides freezing with temperatures down to -18 °C. And again, the decrease in degrees occurs in proportion to the efficiency of the main function that the refrigeration unit performs.
Technology Features
In its classic form, shock freezing is carried out using low-temperature refrigeration machines in an average of 2.5-3 hours. It is the high speed of the freezing process that is the main distinguishing feature of the technology. The increase in cooling dynamics is not only due to the desire to optimize the process. According to studies, the speed of freezing affects the nature of the formation of ice crystals, as well as the quality of enzymes and the structure of products. Forcing the stages of cooling, freezing and freezing is provided by increasing the rate of heat intake. At the same time, blast freezing installations must operate with optimal acceleration of the movement of the coolant. The fact is that a deviation from the optimal indicators of the intensity of temperature decrease can lead to unjustified power losses and, most importantly, to deformation of the product. Therefore, in the process of blowing and cooling effects, it is very important to maintain uniformity and balance, while maintaining moderate temperature conditions.
Blast freezing benefits
Subject to the technological rules and nuances, the manufacturer can count on the high quality of the final product. And that's not to mentionthe benefits that a shock freeze implies in terms of finances and logistics. In particular, the payback period of the enterprise is reduced by almost 20%, the need to use large areas for organizing the processing process is eliminated, the time for freezing is reduced, etc.
The advantages of this approach are most obvious when compared with traditional freezing technologies. For example, the usual techniques for ensuring such processes require much more time. Thus, the shock freezing conveyor serves the average batch of dumplings in 20-25 minutes, and traditional means of similar processing perform the same operations in 2 hours or more. Obviously, the savings affect both productivity indicators and the overall profitability of the enterprise.
Blast frozen products
The range of food products that can be subjected to such freezing is quite wide and varied. Of course, meat and fish semi-finished products are the most popular, but this set has expanded significantly in recent years. To date, quick-frozen vegetables, fruits, nuts, herbs, melons, all kinds of juices and desserts are being produced. In a separate category, the market presents products of shock freezing in the form of ready-made soups and second courses. It should be noted that manufacturers strive to completely exclude the presence of inedible elements in the product, not counting the shell itself with packaging. Particular attention is paid to the stages of packaging, dosing and portioning. All this makes the products convenient forconsumer in terms of circulation and further consumption.
Technical support
Several groups of refrigeration equipment are used to implement the shock freezing process. The most effective are quick-freezing fluidization units, which are used when working with chopped or small pieces of fruits and vegetables. The features of such devices include a high freezing speed with minimal drying. The most popular type of equipment in this niche is the conveyor blast freezer, which processes about 80% of the entire range of semi-finished products. A special class of such equipment is represented by spiral apparatus, thanks to which the freezing of portioned dishes and breaded semi-finished products is ensured.
Blast Freezer Manufacturers
There is no shortage of specialized equipment for shock freezing, as the market is represented by a wide range of manufacturers of different levels. The segment leaders include Nemox, Liebherr and Polair. In the families of these manufacturers, you can find quick freezers designed for different volumes and capacities. Irinox installations are also in high demand. Shock freezing on devices of this brand allows you to get a quick result with maximum preservation of the original properties of the product. In addition, Irinox equipment differs from competitive offers in its versatility. For example, the additional ability to perform heating operations.
Installation of equipment
Organization of a production site does not require a lot of space and special requirements for communication support. To install the cameras, it is enough to use heat-insulating panels with a paint and varnish coating. Such equipment lining performs the function of a supporting structure and at the same time provides moderate thermal insulation performance. Depending on the modification, the shock freezing device may include elements of the supporting frame in the basic configuration. For example, there are devices on special frames that can be placed indoors or even outdoors if the device has a remote condenser. If it is planned to equip a high-performance conveyor, then it makes sense to initially pay attention to quick freezing complexes, which provide for combining several cameras in order to minimize the cost of the project.
Conclusion
The emergence of blast freezing has opened up new opportunities for manufacturers, raising the stage of development of the food industry to a higher level. In particular, the technology makes it possible to delay the sale of perishable products in time. In a sense, blast freezing is a transport, allowing distributors to distribute products without being tied to specific regions and harvesting seasons. This is also beneficial for the consumer, since he has the opportunity to purchase a fresh product of anyorigin regardless of the time of year. Most importantly, the quality remains high enough. Of course, there is no question of a full comparison of the gastronomic characteristics of frozen products with fresh analogues, but modern technologies are constantly reducing this distance.
