Baking&Snack - November 2012 - 73

TRENDS

FORMULATION

EQUIPMENT

OPERATIONS

SPECIAL REPORT

Freezing Systems
by Shane Whitaker

Automated mechanical and cryogenic freezers feature new systems for longer runtimes and improved sanitation.

While mixing, makeup and baking play major roles in the final quality of baked foods, so does freezing. If frozen too quickly, at improper temperatures or in unsanitary environments, a product’s quality will be adversely affected. Bakeries freeze raw, par-baked and fully baked foods to extend shelf life, retain moisture and flavor, and increase distribution capabilities. While cold storage holding areas can freeze pallets of packaged baked foods, often processors opt for continuous automated systems because of the advantages that they offer in handling during packaging or for subsequent processing such as icing of cakes. “The challenge for industrial bakers has always been to find ways to freeze their product as fast as possible while maintaining the product’s taste, texture and appearance,” said Ed Cordiano, program manager, bakery and prepared foods, Linde North America, Murray Hill, NJ. Peter White, president of IJ White Systems, Farmingdale, NY, said bakeries need continuous freezing systems that allow extended production runs without requiring downtime for defrosting. Today, its Ultra Series Freezing Systems use direct drive technology, eliminating drive chains, sprockets and frequent oiling inside the freezer. Companies also seek equipment that can be

sanitized using less time and manhours, he added. Bakeries must select a freezing system that’s right for their products and facilities. They need to deliberate space concerns, startup and operational costs, future product expansions and throughput.

To increase runtime, this spiral freezer includes a sequential defrost system that operates based on timing or that’s triggered by monitoring the pressure differential across the coil.
JBT FoodTech

Maintaining flavor
Bakers often mistakenly believe that fast freezing by spiral or tunnel systems vs. a cold storage area will negatively change the color, water activity, moisture content, taste or appearance of the product, according to Andrew Knowles, freezer sales support manager, JBT FoodTech, Sandusky, OH. “In my experience, if the product is properly precooled and/or packaged prior to entering a spiral or tunnel freezer, generally the intrinsic properties of the food are maintained and can be verified by using sensory testing, baking color meter and moisture analyzer,” he said. IJ White improved the designs and components of its blast freezing systems so that bakeries can increase production runs and better control operating costs, Mr. White said. The company’s Extended Production System (EPS) features Automatic Pressurization Systems (APS) at infeed and outfeed openings to prevent outside warm moist air infil-

trating the freezer and causing frost to build up on coils. “We are retrofitting this new technology onto existing blast freezers, and our customers’ blasts freezers are able to now maintain freezing temperatures longer and reduce the frequency of defrost.” Also, EPS-equipped freezers use a patented Thermal Pak finned coil design to provide greater efficiency. The coil’s elliptical tube design includes closer tube spacing for a greater surface area than the typical round tube designs. “Because of its lower resistance to airflow, the Thermal Pak coil permits greater water loading, making it the most effective design available,” Mr. White observed. “Thermal Pak coils also require less horsepower to operate, feature a more compact design and increase capacity.” In addition, IJ White’s blast freezers use completely enclosed, fancooled, high-efficiency motors on the direct-driven fans to provide high-velocity multipath airflow and baffling for uniform freezing, he said.

Prolonging production
The Continuous Production System (CPS) from IJ White takes extended manufacturing runs in its blast

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Baking&Snack - November 2012

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