Baking & Snack - July 2016 - 82

FREEZING

Freezing equipment
designed for "trouble-free
troubleshooting" allows
maintenance workers to
see, feel or touch freezer
components to know if
they're working properly.
Linde

can kill the yeast, according to Peter
White, president, IJ White Systems.
The third variable, he suggested, is the
system's air flow design. "The proper
control of the air moving through the
product zone is essential for uniform
freezing." With hundreds of freezers in
operation, IJ White has the experience
and database to guide bakers in finding
the right balance between these three
critical factors.
Ashley Morris, sales manager, the
Kaak Group, agreed that these critical
factors require careful consideration
in freezing. "It takes much time, as
well as a very efficient air flow, to take
that heat out of the center of products," he said.
Of course, the harder a product is
to freeze, the longer it will take. This is
something Jon Hocker, director of technology and product line management,
JBT Corp., explained as a matter of
conduction (heat movement within the
product) vs. convection (air movement
around the product), thus, bringing
time and air flow together (See "Know
the frozen factors").
Timing can also affect the economics of running a freezer, according
to Mr. Hocker, and it, too, involves a
balancing act. While slow freezing at
a higher temperature may result in
a lower monthly power cost, it also
might require a larger equipment footprint. Faster freezing isn't always better,
and it's all about that balance. "Timely
freezing for JBT means that all factors

82 Baking & Snack July 2016 / www.bakingandsnack.com

Know the frozen factors
Not all bakery products are made the same, and
they don't all freeze the same, either. Factors such as
formulation, product size and even packaging must be
considered to evenly and efficiently freeze.
All products have a unique freezing point depending
on their ingredients. Products with high percentage of
sugar like fruit or raisins or a high fat content can be
more challenging to freeze. "The most difficult products to freeze are the ones that have poor heat transfer properties," said Peter White, president, IJ White
Systems. He added that there are products where the
dough acts a natural isolator freezing first before the
interior reaches its freezing point. "For instance, freezing a plain croissant is easier than one that has fruit or
chocolate filling. It goes back to the sugar," he said.
Knowing which products face similar freezing
challenges can lead to better production efficiency.
"Freezers are typically optimized when only one type
of product is being processed," said Jon Hocker, director of technology and product line management, JBT
Corp. "Multiple SKUs passing through the freezer at
once can often lead to inefficiencies." As long as the
products are consistent going into the freezer, monitoring systems will track the proper temperature and
process time at certain quality control checkpoints,
according to Mr. Hocker.
Erik Fihlman, marketing manager, Linde, pointed
out that challenges can also come from the production
side, rather than the product itself. For instance, quick
freezing might be needed to avoid problems with a
particular product once it's fully frozen. "Products like
pizza, for example, might need rapid crust freezing
to prevent a sauce bleed, so when consumers sees it
in the package, all they see are the toppings and the
cheese," he noted.

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Baking & Snack - July 2016

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