CRYOGENIC FREEZING OF FOOD MATERIALS

PREPARED BY:-
ARTI KUMARI
M.Sc. FOOD TECH. 3rd SEM
 CONTENTS

1. Introduction
2. Definition
3. History
4. Principle of cryogenic freezing
5. Types of cryogenic freezers
6. Applications of cryogenic freezing
7. Uses of cryogen
9. Preservatives
10. Packaging
11. Effects on nutrients
12. Effects on quality
13. Defrosting
14. Advantages and disadvantages
15. Conclusion
16. Reference
 INTRODUCTION

Although most foods retain their quality when

quick frozen by this method, a few mushroom,
sliced material are subjected to cryogenic freezing,
which is done at very low temperature below -600C.
The refrigerant used in cryogenic freezing at present
is liquid nitrogen and liquid carbon-dioxide.
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# Ultra rapid freezing is the best of all freezing

technology and cryogen meet this requirement.
# Can be effectively used for transportation of
frozen foods. Carbon-dioxide is commercially
used for transporting heat sensitive food materials.
Cryogens are friendly to food industry.
 DEFINITION

1. Cryogen may be defined as the branch of physics

and engineering which deals with the production of
freezing “cold” and the study of material at such
low temperature.
2. According to NISI ( National Institute of Standard
and Technology, US), cryogenic is the science that
address the production and effect at very low
temperature.
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The word “cryogenic” originate from

Greek word “Kryos” meaning “Frost”
and “Genic” meaning “ to produce”,
under the user definition.
 HISTORY

In 1861, Thomas Mout established at Darling

Harbour in Sydney, Australia, the first freezing
work in the world.
From 1929, Clarence Birdseye introduced
flash freezing to the American public, he first
became interested in food freezing in 1912,
where he saw native use of fur trapping.
 PRINCIPLE OF CRYOGENIC
FREEZING:-
Cryogenic freezing works on the principle of
the process by which any living cells, tissues
and food products are protected from decay
or spoilage by preserving them at very low
temperature. In this, all type of moisture are
removed from the food product to make it
solid.
 TYPES OF CRYOGENIC FREEZERS

1. Tunnel Freezers
With tunnel freezing, food products are
loaded onto a straight conveyor belt.
 The amount of food that may be
stacked in the belt will depend on the
mass and type of food, and the height
of freezer inlet.
 The height of the opening may be
adjustable but the average opening is
approximately 4 inches. Fig-1: Tunnel freezers
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As food moves into the freezer,

the cryogen and circulation are
used to remove heat from the
product.
2. IQF Freezers
 Individually Quick Freezing with
a cryogen locks in the moisture,
shape and freshness of small food
items. In this waves are used.
Fig-2: IQF Freezers
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3. Immersion Freezers
 Cryogenic immersion is the
fastest method of freezing food.
 Product are loaded onto a
conveyor belt and submersed in
a bath of liquid nitrogen.
 Effective especially for
marinated products such as
Fig-3: Immersion Freezers
chicken breast etc..
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4. Spiral Freezers
 With cryogenic spiral freezing, foods
travel on a conveyor belt that wraps
around a drum through the freezer.
 Freezers are on average
approximately 10 to 12 feet high.
 The spiral belt design accommodates
high volumes of food products in less
Fig-4: Spiral Freezers
floor space.
 APPLICATIONS OF CRYOGENIC
FREEZING:-
Retention of colour and flavour of the ground
sample.
Definitely edge over conventional method.
High efficiency cryogenic freezing is used in the
meat, poultry and seafood industry.
 For storage of fruits and vegetables like strawberry,
dragon fruit, broccoli, beans etc..
 PRESERVATIVES

Frozen product do not require any added

preservative because micro-organism do not grow
when temperature is below -9.50C (150F).
This temperature is sufficient on its own in
preventing spoilage.
Long term preservation of food may called for
food storage at even lower temperature.
 PACKAGING
Frozen food packaging must
maintain its integrity throughout
filling, sealing, freezing, storage,
transportation, thawing and after
cooking.
Many foods are cooked in
Fig-7: FFS Machine
microwave oven, manufacturers
have developed packaging that can
go straight from freezer to the
microwave.
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Today, there are multiple options for packaging of frozen foods such as:-
1. Boxes,
2. Cartoons,
3. Bags,
4. Pouches,
5. Boil-in-bags,
6. Lidded trays, and
7. Composite and plastic cans.

Fig-8: Packaging material

 EFFECTS ON NUTRIENTS

Vitamin-C loss of 10% occur during the blanching

phase and rest of the loss occurring during the cooling
and washing stages.
 Vitamin-B1 (Thiamine) loss of 25% is normal.
Thiamine is easily soluble in water and is destroyed by
heat.
Vitamin-B2(Riboflavin) loss of 18% in green
vegetables.
 Continued…

Vitamin-A(Carotene),
native loss is seen during
preparation for freezing
of most vegetables. Much Fig-9: Fruits and vegetables
of Vitamin loss in curd
during the extended
storage period.
 EFFECTS ON QUALITY

Speed of the freezing has a direct impact on the size and

number of ice-crystals formed within a food product cell
and extracellular space. Slow freezing leads to fewer but
larger ice crystals while fast freezing leads to smaller but
more numerous ice crystals.
 Larger ice crystals can puncture the wall of cells of the
food which will cause degradation of the texture of the
product as well as loss of its natural juices during thawing.
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That is why, it will be a qualitative

difference between food products
frozen by ventilated mechanical
freezing and non-ventilated mechanical
freezing or cryogenic freezing with
liquid nitrogen.
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# One of the problems surrounding the use of

freezing as a method of food preservation is the
danger that pathogens deactivated by the
processes will once again becomes active when
the frozen food is removed from frozen
condition.
 DEFROSTING

 Most frozen food should be defrosted in a

refrigerator to avoid significant growth of pathogens.
 Food is often defrosted in one of the following
ways:-
1. At room temperature; but this is dangerous since
the outside may be defrosted while the inside
remain frozen.
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2. In a refrigerator,
3. In a microwave oven,
4. Wrapped in plastic and placed in cold water or undercold
running water.
# People sometimes keep frozen food at room temperature,
because of time constraints or ignorance; such food should be
promptly consumed after cooking or discarded and never be
refrozen or since pathogens are not killed by freezing
temperature.
ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES

Advantages
 Low investment cost.
 Very low dehydration.

Disadvantages
 There are user bearing for moved up product due
to cold environment and needs significant
maintainenance.
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 High consumption of nitrogen and

carbon- dioxide(CO2).
 Floors are damaged from leaking
refrigerant.
Long contractual period.
 CONCLUSION

 Cryogenic freezing can be used for preserving the food

materials for a longer period of time ( 6 to 8 months or
even more) at a very low temperature i.e. -1960C.
 Cryogenic freezing is mostly used for perishable foods
like chicken, pork, beef etc. and one of the main
advantage of cryogenic freezing is that there is a very
less loss of juices from the food material during freezing.
 REFERENCE

 Fellows, PJ, 2009, Chilling in Food processing technology,

Principles and Practice, Wood head publishing limited, 399.
 Srivastava, R.P., Kumar, Sanjeev, 2010, Freezing of fruits
and vegetables in Fruits and vegetable preservation,
Principles and practices, CBS publishers and distributors,
163.
 Sun, Da-Wen. 2006, Freezing of foods in handbook of
frozen food processing and packaging , Boca Raton, Taylor
and Francis Group, 200-202.
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 https:// www.irc.wisc.edu.pdf, Accessed on

10-09-2019.
 https://www.cesgroup.com.education>
cryogenic freezing types. Accessed on 10-
09-2019.
THANK YOU