The windows of modern grocery stores and supermarkets cannot be imagined without departments with frozen products. Semi-finished product manufacturers subject various types of food products to special processing, which allows them to maintain gastronomic qualities for a long time. For the manufacturers themselves, shock freezing is beneficial, primarily for economic reasons. And this is just the case when the financial feasibility regarding the application of new technologies for processing products fully coincides with the needs of the consumer.
Description of shock freezing technology
The freezing process involves the implementation of 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 lowering 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 liquid to solid. In this case, the temperature may drop to -5 ° C. At this stage, shock freezing also provides heat removal, but crystallization of the liquid fractions in the product is also performed. This stage can be called freezing. The final stage provides freezing with temperatures up to -18 ° C. And again, a decrease in degrees occurs in proportion to the effectiveness of the main function that the refrigeration unit performs.
Technology features
In the classic form, shock freezing is carried out using low-temperature refrigeration machines for 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 due not only to the desire to optimize the process. According to studies, the rate of freezing affects the nature of the formation of ice crystals, as well as the quality of enzymes and the structure of products. The boosting of the cooling, freezing and freezing stages is ensured by increasing the rate of heat intake. At the same time, shock freezing units should work with optimal acceleration of the movement of the coolant. The fact is that a deviation from the optimal indicators of the intensity of lowering the temperature can lead to unjustified loss of power 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.
Benefits of Shock Freezing
Subject to the observance of technological rules and nuances, the manufacturer can count on the high quality of the final product. And this is not to mention the benefits that shock freezing implies in terms of finance 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, etc. is reduced.
The advantages of this approach are most obvious when comparing it with traditional technologies of freezing. For example, the usual techniques for providing such processes require much more time. So, the shock-freezing conveyor serves an 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 are affecting both performance and overall profitability.
Shock Freeze Products
The range of food products that can be subjected to such freezing is quite wide and diverse. Of course, meat and fish semi-finished products are most popular, but this set has expanded significantly in recent years. Today, fast-frozen vegetables, fruits, nuts, herbs, melons, all kinds of juices and desserts are produced. In a separate category on the market are products of shock freezing in the form of ready-made soups and main dishes. It should be noted that manufacturers seek to completely exclude the presence of inedible elements in the product, not counting the shell itself with the packaging. Particular attention is paid to the stages of packaging, dosing and portioning. All this makes the products convenient for the consumer in terms of circulation and further consumption.
Technical support
To implement the process of shock freezing, several groups of refrigeration equipment are used. The fastest-freezing fluidization units, which are used in work with shredded or small-piece fruit and vegetable products, are considered the most effective. The features of such devices include a high speed of freezing with minimal drying. The most popular type of equipment in this niche is a shock freezer conveyor freezer, with which about 80% of the entire assortment of processed foods is processed. A special class of such equipment is represented by spiral devices, due to which freezing of portioned dishes and breadcrumbs is ensured.
Shock Freezer Manufacturers
There is no shortage of specialized equipment for shock freezing, since the market is represented by a wide range of manufacturers at various levels. The segment leaders include Nemox, Liebherr and Polair. In the families of these manufacturers you can find cabinets for quick freezing, designed for different volumes and performance. 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 its competitors in multifunctionality. For example, an additional opportunity to perform heating operations.
Installation of equipment
The organization of the production site does not require much space and special requirements for communication support. To install the cameras, it is enough to use heat-insulating panels with paintwork. This equipment lining serves as 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 as standard. For example, there are devices on special frames that are sufficient to be placed indoors or even outdoors, if the device has an external capacitor. If you plan to equip a high-performance conveyor, it makes sense to initially pay attention to quick-freezing complexes, which provide for the integration of several cameras in order to minimize the cost of the project.
Conclusion
The advent of shock freezing 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 implementation of perishable products over time. In a sense, shock freezing is a transport, allowing distributors to distribute products without reference to specific regions and harvesting seasons. This is also beneficial for the consumer, since he has the opportunity to purchase a fresh product of any origin, regardless of the time of year. Most importantly, the quality remains high enough. Of course, there is no question of a complete comparison of the gastronomic characteristics of frozen products with fresh analogues, but modern technologies are constantly reducing this distance.