Balancing Chilling, Freezing Needs with Cost, Sustainability
Food & beverage safety and quality often depends on temperature — how consistently chilled or frozen a product remains during and after processing makes an enormous difference in the shelf life of that product.
Of course, the business of chilling and freezing isn’t as simple as turning down the temperature. Many of the standard external pressures faced by food & beverage processors also impact their chilling and freezing operations — sustainability, energy use, food safety and regulations, to name a few.
“The top challenge is ensuring product is at proper temperature throughout the supply chain, from production to consumer,” explains Alex Cotraviwat, founder and CEO of Klimon (which is “No Milk” spelled backward), a plant-based, dairy-free, frozen ice cream-like dessert. “We solve the issue by working with experienced, top-tier frozen carriers and distributors and a robust program of temperature monitoring.”
Antonio Mundarain, processing manager-ice cream for Tetra Pak U.S. and Canada, points to energy efficiency and the regulatory pressures around it as one of the primary challenges that processors face today.
“Freezing and chilling processes require substantial energy, and with rising energy costs and environmental concerns, processors are under significant pressure to find more energy-efficient methods,” he says. Processors look to optimize their equipment’s functionality and operational efficiency, improve insulation and explore alternative cooling technologies, he adds. Hand-in-hand with that are government regulations pushing the industry more toward environmentally friendly refrigerants.
“Traditional refrigerants often have high global warming potential (GWP) and ozone depletion potential (ODP), which contribute to climate change and environmental degradation,” Mundarain says. “As a result, processors must invest in new technologies and systems that utilize low-GWP and ODP refrigerants, which can be more costly and require significant changes to existing infrastructure.”
Addressing needs
Companies offering solutions to processors looking to freeze or chill with greater success have focused on a variety of areas in which the freezing/chilling operation could be improved. Cotraviwat says companies like Klimon continue to seek more cost-effective frozen transportation that doesn’t sacrifice product quality in exchange. According to Mundarain, many ice cream processors look to create premium-level products with exceptionally small ice crystals but still minimizing operational costs.
“The delicate balance between quality and efficiency remains paramount,” Mundarain says. “Manufacturers of ice cream equipment and refrigeration systems are diligently working to enhance efficiencies and align more closely with these customer aspirations.”
To that end, Tetra Pak’s continuous ice cream freezers have increased heat transfer efficiency with a new cylinder design, and they have implemented an improved cooling regulation system, he says. “These enhancements ensure that the ice cream is frozen more uniformly and quickly, preserving its texture and flavor,” Mundarain explains. That speed and uniformity is key to consistent product quality in many different food and beverage segments.
On extrusion lines, Tetra Pak uses advanced software to analyze and optimize the airflow inside the tunnels, and with an improved evaporator design, processing gets extended running time out of their production lines. Product quality and the efficiency and reliability of the system are enhanced, and operational costs are reduced as a result, Mundarain explains.
Other companies, such as Messer North America Inc. and Linde Plc, have stepped up to meet the needs of processors manufacturing all sorts of frozen or chilled food and beverage products. There is a wide variety of freezing equipment available for processors to match to the particular application needed — based on maintaining food quality and safety.
Cryogenic freezing and chilling equipment can help processors in this arena, using N2 or CO2 in contact with the product to bring temperatures down quickly and safely. Products can be frozen or chilled individually or in batches, with various applications from spraying and mixing gases into a mixture, tumbling product or immersing the products in liquid to bring the temperature down rapidly. Regardless, to get the quality that is needed, consistent application and speed are crucial.
In a white paper on the subject, Messer’s experts point out: “More consistent food temperatures and more repeatable processes contribute to food quality and food safety. Both the flow of cryogen and the way food items move through a chiller or freezer are important to maximizing heat-transfer efficiency — and line productivity.”
