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From cradle to table: cooling and freezing of food.

De la production à la fourchette.

Author(s) : PACHAI A. C.

Type of article: Article

Summary

Today a lot of food is collected and processed locally. Some products are frozen shortly after harvest to stop the biological processes. For example peas have a window of three hours from harvest to frozen product. This ensures high quality of the products and reduces the loss of vitamins and loss of water from the product. Also the taste stays as close as possible to the taste of the fresh harvested product. Fluctuations in storage temperature have proven to reduce the shelf life of a product so a careful monitoring and control of the storage temperature is very important. Modern refrigeration plants use electronic controls and monitoring systems to keep the temperature as close to the optimal as possible. The freezing process is different for different products, but common for many products is a reduced freezing time when using the old refrigerant, CO2. Carbon dioxide (R744 or CO2) has come back in favour after many years out of the market. Ammonia (R717 or NH3) has always to some extent been used particularly in industrial systems. The two refrigerants have different characteristics and are often used together in cascade systems. This paper will focus on new trends within cooling, freezing and storage of food and food products in the food chain as seen in modern society. We will also have a look at how to increase efficiency and sustainability of the system both to the benefit of the environment and to the benefit of the company using the technology. This includes the use of heat pumps for a variety of purposes in the production facility. No chain is stronger than its weakest link, and to avoid food poisoning it is important to understand the chain that brings the food from cradle to table.

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Format PDF

Pages: 24

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Details

  • Original title: De la production à la fourchette.
  • Record ID : 30008220
  • Languages: French
  • Source: Revue générale du Froid & du Conditionnement d'air - vol. 103 - n. 1135
  • Publication date: 2013/07

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