New freezer boosts food processing hygiene

“Leading edge design features and innovative functionality of our new Cryoline freezer range will enable food processing manufacturers to dramatically and conveniently minimise hygiene risks in food freezing​,” said the company. “The new freezers also provide a constant source of reliable, real-time data on freezer operating performance to help mitigate food processing issues.”​

The freezers’ internal surfaces are made from polyethylene or stainless steel and are sloped to prevent adherence of the food being processed. The units’ frames are also made of tubular stainless steel which provides greater resistance to food adherence compared with conventional flat surface designs, said the company.

Polyethylene​

Running rails for the product belt, on which the food is carried through the freezer are made from polyethylene and are said to be easily removed for cleaning.

The freezer units are modular, in order to meet processors’ requirements, and the joints between units are fully welded. Both features improve food processing hygiene compared with the more traditional bolted joint design which can capture food particles, said Linde.

Cryoline freezers are supplied with a data logging system which provides key information on freezer performance under varying conditions and product traceability.

The new freezers also allow greater product storage within the same plant footprint, claims the company. This is due to the use of gas impingement technology and individual quick frozen handling.

Cryogenically frozen​

Gas impingement involves shooting high velocity gas onto the food product via hundreds of perforations in overhead stainless steel plates. This results in the food product being cryogenically frozen within seconds compared with the fan blade method, which can take several minutes, claims the company. It also provides 100% cryogenic coverage of the product which is said to generate overall increased yield.

Steve McCormick, head of Food and Beverage at Linde said: “Linde has always played a pioneering role in gas technology within the food processing market​

“We have now built the new Cryoline range of cryogenic freezers with optimum hygiene in mind from the ground up​.”