As a gasoline knowledgeable, Air Liquide gives its meals business prospects with full course of assist and companies, such because the implementation of cryogenic freezing processes, together with using liquid nitrogen.
A variety of freezing and chilling companies continues to assist meals producers preserve high quality and freshness, in addition to assist restrict moisture loss.
Whether or not it’s preserving meals high quality throughout the grinding and mixing course of in a protected and sanitary surroundings, or shifting temperature-sensitive meals by way of refrigerated transport, Air Liquide develops customized options to fulfill prospects’ necessities – all whereas serving to to enhance productiveness.
Amongst Air Liquide’s specialties is the utilisation of liquid nitrogen to sit back produce shortly and successfully. There are a number of advantages to utilizing cryogenic freezing strategies, in line with Fumie Hokao, meals cryo specialist and Alex Younger, meals software specialist.
For instance, liquid nitrogen may be sprayed into merchandise being chilled both from the highest or the underside, with each strategies getting used within the meals and beverage business. And conveniently, the method may be simply tailored to current gear.
“The client could have already got a freezer and wish to enhance throughput; they’ll add a small cryogenic freezer forward of the opposite one to start out the method and put the remainder of the work into the principle freezer. So, it’s a small footprint to extend productiveness,” stated Younger.
One other profit is that the gases have direct contact with the meals.
If an ammonia chiller is being utilized in a mixer, for instance, then customers would possibly be capable to calm down the partitions of the mixer however the floor of contact is restricted in comparison with injecting the cooling agent instantly within the meals, as it might be the case with liquid nitrogen.
A number of the mainstays of cryogenic chilling are hen nuggets and meat patties, that are standard with those that course of fast-food merchandise. Cryogenic freezing can also be used for ice cream manufacturing and with recent produce.
Younger stated one of many key advantages of utilizing the tactic for recent produce is the flexibility to lock in freshness and stop weight discount by way of moisture loss, and with produce being bought by weight, this creates an apparent profit.
“As a result of it’s so chilly it may well snap freeze product shortly versus mechanical freezing like a fridge or freezer,” he stated.
“The quicker you freeze the much less loss you get as a result of the floor is frozen immediately, and also you don’t have moisture popping out which saves on any loss, which is mostly by way of moisture.”
Younger’s experience is an effective instance of Air Liquide’s in depth technical information by way of its worldwide community of meals cryogenic specialists and analysis laboratories. Permitting the corporate to design cost-efficient cryogenic options which are customised to fulfill the particular wants of every producer.
Air Liquide additionally affords an intensive vary of cryogenic meals processing gear, in varied fashions, widths and lengths, that may be completely matched with the meals product, manufacturing volumes and quantity of obtainable flooring house.
Cryogenic freezing gear options are extraordinarily versatile and may be simply customised based mostly on the totally different traits of the meals product.
Ice cream manufacturing presents one other case research on the advantages of utilizing liquid nitrogen within the cryogenic freezing course of.
“Successfully the ice crystals in a meals product are a lot smaller, the quicker you freeze the smaller the crystal. In case you freeze ice cream slowly it’s grainy,” stated Younger.
With strawberries, for instance, if they’re snap frozen then they may retain extra of their weight as a result of the lack of moisture is restricted.
“In case you freeze a strawberry at dwelling as an example and also you thaw it out, weight reduction can be vital as a consequence of ice crystals damaging the mobile construction of the fruit. As soon as thawed the cells content material leaks away. With liquid nitrogen, as soon as thawed out the fruit might be virtually nearly as good as recent,” stated Younger.
This contributes to larger yields by quickly locking within the product’s moisture content material so that there’s little or no weight reduction from dehydration throughout the freezing course of.
This idea applies to many meals merchandise as a result of quicker freezing leads to the formation of smaller ice crystals which causes much less injury to the mobile construction and helps to retain the meals product’s preliminary texture, color, and flavour attributes.
The corporate’s gases and applied sciences are serving to agricultural enterprises enhance high quality and productiveness in a variety of functions, from harvest safety to greenhouses and modified ambiance packaging.
Additionally, controlling the ambiance round a meals product is essential to extending product shelf life and sustaining a beautiful buyer presentation.
Their native consultants perceive the significance of gasoline flush packaging, a course of that replaces bundle headspace with a useful gasoline or combination of gases that can dramatically sluggish bacterial development and oxidative reactions. This allows your product to last more whereas decreasing waste.
Younger stated Air Liquide is continually working at discover methods to enhance meals security and high quality by working to boost meals preservation, storage, processing, and transport.
The advantages of utilizing liquid nitrogen within the cryogenic freezing course of is an effective instance of how the corporate regularly works to enhance meals manufacturing.
Each resolution is particularly designed for every meals processor utilizing Air Liquide’s ALIGAL meals grade gases, state-of-the-art software gear and meals cryogenic technical assist companies.
Air Liquide prospects profit from with the ability to produce value-added, top quality meals merchandise at a aggressive price.
Air Liquide might be attending the foodpro exhibition in Melbourne. You may meet them on stand L23.
Fumie Hokao, Technical Specialist in Industrial Cryogenic Freezing, can even maintain a small discuss on Cryogenic as a part of Foodpro Good Meals Lounge, Sunday twenty third July, 1:00pm.
