Air Blast Freezing Research Articles

Thermomechanical effects during air blast freezing of fruit pulp model solutions with different sucrose concentrations in metal drums

The strains on the metal drums surfaces caused by the ice volumetric expansion during the freezing of model solutions of fruit pulps were evaluated by extensometers. 200 kg of model solutions of 0.5% k-carrageenan (w/v) added 0.5%, 10% or 20% (w/v) sucrose into metal drums were frozen in air blast freezer at −25 °C. Strain gauge sensors were installed on the side surface and bottom of the drums in a balanced Wheatstone bridge circuit. The resulting stresses and temperature profiles inside the packages were measured simultaneously. The non-uniform temperature distribution in the product was proven by IR thermography. There was reduction in the freezing temperature and stresses in the packages with the increase in the sucrose concentration. The restricted surfaces, preventing the expansion of the ice, yielded great stresses in the frozen solutions and induced cracking in the free surfaces of the solutions, especially in the systems with lower concentrations.

Cryoprotective role of vacuum infused inulin on the quality of artichoke: Interactive effects of freezing, thawing and storage period

Freezing of artichoke is a promising alternative to storing it in brine and canning. The perishable vegetable was vacuum infused with inulin to improve freezing tolerance. Artichokes with and without inulin were frozen by static, air blast and individual quick freezing (IQF) methods and thawed by microwave, 25 °C and 4 °C temperature levels at each month of 6-months storage. Process conditions were evaluated by multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) and were found significant on the quality parameters. Inulin infusion better conserved the aw, color, texture, ascorbic acid and overall integrity of artichokes during frozen storage. Inulin incorporation and IQF showed mutual positive effect on drip loss. Polyphenol oxidase (PPO) activity values fitted to 2nd order kinetic and the highest residuals were determined in static freezing. PPO showed alleviating effect on total phenolic content. Vacuum impregnation caused a color difference prior to freezing, but was found effective for maintaining color during storage. As a result, the use of quick freezing techniques together with the addition of cryoprotectant was effective in the preservation of artichoke quality attributes during frozen storage.

Quality and microstructure of tilapia fillets (Oreochromis niloticus) subjected to different freezing methods

The Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) fillets were frozen with static air (SA) at -20 °C, air blast freezing (AF) at -25 °C, combined method (CM - immersion in liquid nitrogen followed by AF) and cryogenic freezing (CF - immersion in liquid nitrogen). The effects of different freezing methods and of storage time at -18 °C (0, 30, 60 and 90 days) on fillet quality were evaluated. The temperature records were obtained, and the freezing times were determined by monitoring the temperatures of the geometric centers of the fillets. For CF, CM, AF and SA, the freezing times were 5.32, 127, 146 and 268 min, respectively. The quality of the frozen fillets was evaluated by measuring pH, volatile nitrogenous bases (TBV-N), thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS), and fatty acids and by obtaining a texture profile and performing scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The samples frozen by CF, after storage, had the highest levels of TBV-N because the high freezing rate produced superficial cracks that negatively affected the quality of the fillets. Freezing the samples with SA produced the worst quality indices and the microstructure was visibly damaged, with greater spaces between the fibers left by ice crystals. For all parameters evaluated, freezing with AF and CM resulted in fast freezing rates and better-quality tilapia fillets for 90 days of storage.

IMPLEMENTATION OF COLD CHAIN SYSTEM IN PEELED DEVEINED TAIL-ON VANNAMEI SHRIMP (Litopenaeus vannamei) PRODUCTS

Vannamei (Litopenaeus vannamei) Peeled Deveined Tail-On (PDTO) shrimp is frozen shrimp product consumers highly preferred. However, shrimp products are easily perishable that require a proper cold chain system to preserve their quality, shelf life, and nutritional value. This study investigated the cold chain implementation of PDTO shrimp processing in the fishery industry. The temperature of shrimp products, water, and rooms was monitored during processing. Results showed that the shrimp temperature measured in each process was below 5°C. However, abusive temperatures were detected in water used in the peeling and deveining step and soaking process, while water and shrimp temperatures altered each other. Moreover, room temperatures were recorded under 20°C, conforming to Ministry of Marine and Fisheries regulations. Air Blast Freezer and cold storage temperatures revealed that ABF and CS could not meet the company’s temperature standards. These findings may help shrimp companies monitor steps indicating to have temperature abuse attentively.

Design and analysis of a 20-feet modular cold storage system

Cold storage plays an essential role in the cold supply chain, especially for fishery products. Compact cold storage systems that can be easily moved across various locations are attractive for archipelagic regions. This study aims to design and analyze a 20-ft modular cold storage system. The design stages include the development of a geometrical model, calculation of cooling load, and selection of a refrigeration machine. The analysis of the designed cold storage system was performed using transient computational fluid dynamic simulations using Ansys Fluent. The compact 20-ft cold storage design consists of three main rooms: the anteroom, air blast freezer room, and freezer storage room. The calculation results showed a maximum cooling load of about 6.6 kW occurring in the air blast freezer room at noon. According to the temperature distribution from the transient computational fluid dynamic simulation, each room had different cooling characteristics, with the highest cooling rate of 94.59 W/h in the air blast freezer room, achieving a targeted temperature of −40 °C in 5 h.

Design of Air Blast Freezing System Using Cascade Refrigeration R290/R32 System with Capacity 5kg

Indonesia is a maritime country that has an abundance of marine catches. In 2022, the production of marine catches reached 24.85 millions tons, while the export amount was 1.221 millions tons. This is due to the limited technology that can extend the freshness of marine catches. Based on this problem, a cooling system was designed in the form of an ABF that can freeze marine catch products. The Air Blast Freezing (ABF) system is designed at an air temperature of -40oC using a cascade refrigeration system. The working fluid used is R290/R32 hydrocarbon, which has very low GWP and ODP so it is safe for the environment and the earth's ozone layer. The results obtained show that the cooling load is 444.037 Watts, the LTC compressor power and HTC compressor power are 116.19 Watts and 205.98 watts. The designed air blast freezing system has a surface area of LTC evaporator of 2.670 m2 and HTC condenser of 4.780 m2. The calculated capillary pipe length is 1.94 m for HTC and 1.51 m for LTC, the COP of the ABF system is 2.774.

Effect of air blast freezing and frozen storage on inactivation of Vibrio vulnificus in Pacific oysters (Crassostrea gigas)

Air-blast freezing followed by frozen storage at different temperatures was assessed for inactivation of Vibrio vulnificus in Pacific oysters (Crassostrea gigas). Pacific oysters were allowed to bioaccumulate a cocktail of six strains of V. vulnificus. They were then air-blast frozen at −55 °C followed by frozen storage at −8 °C, −13 °C, −18 °C, −23 °C and −28 °C. V. vulnificus reductions were enumerated at different sampling times from 0 to 360 days. Air-blast freezing and frozen storage inactivated V. vulnificus in Pacific oysters in a two-phase inactivation pattern, with rapid inactivation during the first 3 days after air-blast freezing (short-term effect) followed by slower log-linear declines during frozen storage (long-term effect). The effects of storage temperature on V. vulnificus inactivation (log10 MPN/day) were assessed using a combined model that includes effects from both short- and long-term storage. The US National Shellfish Sanitation Program requires that postharvest processes to reduce Vibrio concentrations achieve ≥3.52 log reductions. At −18 °C this was achieved after an average of 90 days, but 95% confidence was not achieved until 123 days. Lower frozen storage temperatures caused slower declines of V. vulnificus. As well as artificially bioaccumulated V. vulnificus, we modeled inactivation of naturally occurring V. parahaemolyticus and showed that the results of a previous North American study fitted with our data. Their validated treatment for this organism in half-shell oysters can therefore be applied to New Zealand whole-shell oysters. This study will help guide oyster producers/processors aiming to achieve significant inactivation of Vibrio bacteria in their product, by providing a starting point for developing suitable frozen storage time/temperature conditions for Vibrio inactivation.

Effects of sequential combination of cryogenic immersion freezing and ultra-cold frozen storage on the quality of Korean white kimchi

This study aimed to assess the effects of three different freezing techniques — cold room freezing (CRF; −20 °C), air-blast freezing (ABF; −70 °C), and cryogenic immersion freezing (CIF; −70 °C) — on the microstructure and physicochemical properties of Korean white kimchi (KWK) during frozen storage at −20 °C and − 45 °C for 8 weeks. CIF-treated KWK exhibited a higher freezing rate and after ultra-cold (UC; −45 °C) frozen storage, it showed a greater number and smaller diameter and area of ice crystals than CRF- and ABF-treated KWK. Drip loss was reduced and CIE color changes were delayed in KWK under UC frozen storage. The pH, titratable acidity, and reducing sugar content of frozen KWK remained unaffected by the freezing method, storage temperature, or duration. Thus, CIF combined with UC frozen storage preserves the physicochemical quality of KWK with minimal histological damage during long-term storage. Industrial relevanceIn the kimchi industry, where the shelf life of commercial products is often constrained by successive fermentation under low-temperature storage and distribution conditions, introducing frozen kimchi is a promising solution to reduce waste of overripe kimchi in the supply chain. This study highlights the effectiveness of combining CIF and UC frozen storage methods to minimize the damage caused by freezing in kimchi. This innovative technology provides a practical means for streamlining freezing processes, saving operational time, and ensuring kimchi quality during long-term storage and distribution.

Decimal reduction time and inactivation rate of Vibrio vulnificus and Vibrio parahaemolyticus in oyster meat by cryogenic freezing (CF) and air-blast freezing (AB) and their impact on oyster meat quality and microstructure

Decimal reduction time and inactivation rate of Vibrio vulnificus and Vibrio parahaemolyticus in oyster meat by cryogenic freezing (CF) and air-blast freezing (AB) and their impact on oyster meat quality and microstructure

Effect of Liquid Nitrogen Freezing Temperature on the Muscle Quality of Litopenaeus vannamei.

The implications of different liquid nitrogen freezing (LNF) temperatures (-35 °C, -65 °C, -95 °C, and -125 °C) on the ice crystal and muscle quality of white shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei) were investigated in this essay. The results showed that better muscle quality was maintained after LNF treatment compared to that after air blast freezing (AF) treatment. As the freezing temperature of liquid nitrogen decrease, the freezing speed accelerated, with the freezing speed of LNF at -125 °C being the fastest. However, an excessively fast freezing speed was not conducive to maintaining the quality of shrimp. Among all the freezing treatments, LNF at -95 °C led to the lowest thawing losses and cooking losses, and the highest L* values, indicating that LNF at -95 °C could keep the water holding capacity of frozen shrimp better than that with other freezing methods. At the same time, LNF at -95 °C resulted in higher water holding capacity, and hardness values for shrimps than those with other frozen treatments (p < 0.05). In addition, the results of the water distribution of shrimps showed that treatment with a -95 °C LNF reduced the migration rate of bound and free water. Meanwhile, the microstructural pores of shrimps in the -95 °C LNF group were smaller, indicating that the ice crystals generated during -95 °C LNF were relatively smaller than those generated via other frozen treatments. In conclusion, an appropriate LNF temperature (-95 °C) was beneficial for improving the quality of frozen shrimp, and avoiding freezing breakage.

Volatile aroma and physicochemical characteristics of freeze-dried coconut water using different encapsulating agents

This research studied how different types and concentrations of encapsulating agents impacted freeze-dried coconut water products. Volatile aroma and physicochemical product characteristics were evaluated. The encapsulating agents were maltodextrin 4–8% (w/v), polydextrose 4–8% (w/v) and xanthan gum 0.1–0.3% (w/v). A plate freezer and an air blast freezer were used to pre-freeze the coconut water before drying. Freezing time had no impact on moisture content and water activity. The flavor compounds of coconut water is composed of alkanes, aldehyde, ketones, organic acids and some other flavor substances. Encapsulating agents are the main factors affecting the flavor of coconut water. Optimal conditions for producing dried coconut water were adding polydextrose at a concentration of 8%. Volatile compounds were assessed under different conditions of SPME- GC-TOFMS. The composition of flavor compounds in coconut water is complex and mainly includes esters, aldehydes, and phenols. Results showed that encapsulating agents improved the volatile aroma of dried coconut water products.

Tingkat Kandungan Histamin pada Ikan Cakalang (Katsuwonus Pelamis) dengan Metode Pembekuan yang Berbeda di CV. Novira Abadi Kota Banda Aceh

The fisheries sector in Indonesia has a greater potential, namely pelagic and demersal fish populations including skipjack tuna and tuna skipjack tuna are referred to as commodities that have high nutritional value but are easily damaged because they contain lots of protein which is high in free amino acids for microbial metabolism. production of ammonia, biogenic amines, organic acids, ketones and sulfur composition. Fish is one of the food products that is prone to deterioration in quality due to the action of enzymes or microbial growth. Handling of fresh fish can be done by applying cold temperatures through freezing techniques to prevent deterioration of fish quality. The SCF (semi contact plate freezer) method is a product freezing process between refrigerated shelves and this process takes place quickly. The use of semicontec in this product is fish arranged in a pan, which consists of 144 pans of cold air around the product with a temperature of - 40°C for 5 hours, with a temperature of 17.4°C in skipjack tuna, the histamine content was 0.3 ppm. ABF (Air Blast Freezer) freezing method. Freezing is done by placing the fish products that have been arranged in a pan and putting them into the ABF (air blast freezer) at the temperature used in the company, which is -35°C for 22 hours. in the arrangement of the fish that is included in the air blast freezer Freezing air blast freezer, which is a cold media made from freon that is used to freeze or ripen fish. The temperature of the fish after being frozen at air blast freezer 15.400C. by producing histamine levels in skipjack tuna 3.9 ppm, where the fish can still be consumed.

Pengaruh Teknik Pembekuan Ikan Tongkol (Euthynnus affinis) Terhadap Organoleptik di PT. Aceh Lampulo Jaya Bahari

Tuna contains high protein so that it fulfills the nutritional needs of the human body. Tuna is a marine fish that contains omega 3, vitamins, protein and minerals. This study aims to determine the effect of the freezing technique of tuna (Euthynnus affinis) on organoleptic at PT.Aceh Lampulo Jaya Bahari using a temperature of -30oC to -40oC with a freezing time of about 8 - 12 hours. Methods This study used a qualitative method consisting of research on the first with the influence of the technique of freezing tuna (Euthynnus affinis) with a comparison of 3 freezing methods, the second stage carried out an organoleptic analysis (ice layer, dehydration, discoloration, appearance, smell, texture.) on frozen tuna. The results of the value of the ice layer showed that the most preferred value by the analyst was the value of the semi contact plate freezer 7 ± 0.67 and cold storage 7 ± 0.67, the dehydration indicated the value most preferred by the analyst was the value of the semi contact plate freezer 7 ± 0.67 and cold storage 7 ± 0.67. The result of the value of dehydration shows the value most preferred by the analyst is the value of the semi contact plate freezer 7 ± 0.78. The result of the value of the appearance shows the value most preferred by the analyst is the value of air blast freezer 7 ± 0.50. the result of the value of the appearance shows the most preferred value by the analyst is the value of the air blast freezer 7 ± 0.50, the result of the value of the odor shows the most preferred value by the analyst is the value of the semi contact plate freezer 7 ± 0.41 and cold storage 7 ± 0.41, the value of the texture shows the most preferred value by the analyst is the value of air blast freezer 7 ± 0.25, semi contact plate freezer 7 ± 0.25 and cold storage 7 ± 0.25.

Air flow distribution and cooling performance on modular cold storage for fishery commodity

Cold storage plays a vital role in the supply chain of fishery products. Efficient cold storage design is a future challenge for developing regions with limited energy supplies. This paper aims to analyze the cooling performance and airflow distribution of modular cold storage. Modular cold storage is designed with a size of 20 ft for remote areas with the main cargo of fishery products. The analysis used empirical equations and numerical simulations of fluid flow and heat transfer. Variation of cooling load and inlet air velocity was conducted to investigate the cargo’s cooling distribution and cooling speed. To achieve the desired product temperature inside cold storage rooms have obtained different cooling times. The optimum cooling time in the anteroom is 5 h and in air-blast freezer room is 3.5 h with an inlet air velocity setting is 8 m/s both, while the optimum cooling time in the freezer room is 6 h with an inlet air velocity setting is 2 m/s. Furthermore, the results of this paper also offer recommendations for pre-cooling fish products to minimize excessive cooling in air-blast freezer room.

A CFD Analysis of Core Temperature for Different Durian Paste Packages Layouts during Air-Blast Freezing

Food freezing is a process of crystallising the water particles inside the food and turning it into ice. One of the rapid freezing techniques is known as air-blast freezing. It is a process that rapidly freezes products from chilled or ambient temperature to their desired temperature instantly. SOLIDWORKS Flow Simulation is utilised in this project to analyse the core temperature change for five different durian paste package layouts during the air-blast freezing. There are L1 horizontally single stacked, L2 horizontally double stacked, L3 vertically stacked, L4 fin-like stacked without gaps and L5 fin-like stacked with 3.925 mm gaps. All layouts have a fixed number of 90 durian paste packages per run to ensure consistent and accurate results. These combinations have an initial body temperature of 26°C and were simulated for 240 minutes under an air temperature of -30°C. According to the simulation results, L5 achieved the fastest freezing speed among all five layouts, with a core temperature of 26°C dropping to -20°C in 90 minutes, followed by L3 in 140 minutes, L1 in 150 minutes. Moreover, L5 gives a more evenly distributed temperature around all surfaces with a maximum core temperature after 240 minutes of freezing as it has a higher total surface area to volume ratio, which results in more surface area exposure to cool air. Therefore, L5 fin like-stacked with gaps in between has shown to have more uniform and consistent freezing and advantage in terms of freezing speed.

Osmotik ve Konvektif Kurutma Sonrası Dondurma İşleminin Enerji Verimliliğine ve Kırmızıbiberin Bazı Fizikokimyasal Özellikleri Üzerine Etkisi

The effect of osmotic and convective drying treatments on main physicochemical properties of frozen sliced red peppers was investigated. Sliced red peppers were dried partially using either osmotic dehydration or convective hot air drying before freezing in an air blast freezer at constant air velocity (2 m/s) and temperature (-25°C). The center temperature of osmo- and convective dehydrofrozen peppers reached -25°C in about 105 min, while it took 270 min for control samples. Frozen samples were stored at -18±2°C for 60 days, and the color, texture, ascorbic acid, enzyme activities, antioxidant activity (DPPH and ORAC) and total carotenoid content of samples were monitored during storage. Results showed that skin puncture values of samples decreased by storage time. The ascorbic acid content of sliced red pepper decreased by both treatments and storage time. The antioxidant activity values of control samples were higher than those of convective dehydrofrozen and osmo-dehydrofrozen samples. Both partial drying treatments reduced carotenoid loss significantly. The losses in total carotenoid contents were 58.0, 47.5 and 46.9% at the end of the storage period in control, osmo-dehydrofrozen and convective dehydrofrozen peppers, respectively. Significantly lower energy was used in osmotic dehydration compared to convective drying since no heating required for osmotic dehydration. Moreover, pre-drying of sliced red pepper required one-third of lower energy for freezing compared to direct freezing. This study showed that osmo-dehydrofreezing can be an economical method for sliced red peppers production.

Effect of immersion freezing with the edible medium on protein structure, chemical bonding and particle size in grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idellus) during frozen storage

SummaryOne of the most worrisome problems with frozen fish is its undesirable softening texture, due in part to the alteration of fish protein structure. Therefore, a new immersion freezing (IF) technology with the edible medium, which was proven to improve food freezing speed and quality, was compared with air blast freezing (AF) and liquid nitrogen freezing (LNF) on the scope of protein structure. Protein fractions, structure, chemical bonds and particle size of the grass carp muscle were used as indicators. At the end of 24 weeks of frozen storage, the content of salt‐soluble protein in IF (106.22 ± 1.01 mg g−1 meat) was significantly higher than that of AF (90.77 ± 1.11 mg g−1 meat) and LNF (97.44 ± 1.40 mg g−1 meat) (P &lt; 0.05). Compared to AF, the α‐helix content of IF and LNF was higher, the content of β‐turn and random coil was lower, while no statistical difference was detected in IF and LNF groups (P &lt; 0.05). Meanwhile, the intrinsic fluorescence intensity, ionic bonding and hydrogen bonding in IF were significantly higher than in AF. The lowest value of D[3,2] was observed in the IF group after 24 weeks storage. Therefore, IF is an effective approach to reducing protein denaturation and can be adopted as an alternative freezing method.

Determination of the Effect of Freezing Methods on the Quality of Frozen Tomato Pieces

Background: Due to their highly perishable nature, vegetables possess a higher chance of deterioration and damage after harvesting. Freezing is a potential preservation technique used to reduce the deterioration and increase the shelf life of vegetables by preventing the wastage of substantial quantities of tomatoes in Sri Lanka. Methods: In this research calcium chloride (2.4% w/w) pretreated Thilina and RIDA F1 tomato variety pieces were analyzed drip loss, pH, color, hardness, cutting shearing strength, ascorbic acid content and sensory parameters under air blast freezing (-30°C, 3 ms-1 air velocity) and conventional freezing (-18°C) conditions. Result: The L* values of colour, pH and ascorbic acid content were shown significant differences (p less than 0.05) but a*, b* values, driploss%, cutting and shearing strength didn’t show any significant differences (p less than 0.05) during different freezing conditions. The magnitude of color change (∆E) is higher (p less than 0.05) in conventional freezing treatment than in air-blast freezing. The preference among the panelists is significantly (p less than 0.05) higher for blast frozen tomato samples than conventional frozen samples concerning color, odor, texture and overall quality parameters. According to the statistical analysis, air blast freezing preserve better physiochemical and sensory parameters of Thilina and RIDA F1 tomato varieties.

Development of Air Blast Freezer for the Storage of Fruits and Vegetables

The need for the conservation of agricultural produce is highly essential considering the global food crisis. Several methodsof fruit and vegetable preservation do not normally conserve the nutritional values of the produce. This led to the development ofthe Air blast freezer which gives room for the conservation of nutritional and organoleptic values of compatible fruits and vegetables. The system was designed for a cooling capacity of 0.83116KW based on the average ambient temperature of 270C, condensing and evaporating temperatures of 400C and -20C respectively. The system can handle 20 fresh fruits and vegetables or a combination of both. The system, when tested has a coefficient of performance (COP) of 3.55. It is capable of preserving fruit and vegetable samples for 14 days without significant change in the number of nutritional values and the organoleptic condition of thesamples.

Effect of frozen storage and hydrocolloids on structural and rheological properties of frozen roti dough supplemented with rice bran

This study investigated the effect of addition of hydrocolloids (hydroxypropyl methylcellulose: HPMC, and xanthan) and frozen storage on the structure and rheological properties of frozen roti dough supplemented with rice bran. The roti dough was frozen by air blast freezing and stored at -18 °C for 84 days. Changes in the protein structure of the frozen roti dough with HPMC produced greater changes in the gluten network and random coil conformations than that of the xanthan supplemented dough during frozen storage. The resistance to extension and the elastic modulus of the frozen roti dough with HPMC tended to decrease while the extensibility slightly increased with a longer frozen storage time. However, these parameters did not change in the frozen roti dough with xanthan. The freezable water in the frozen roti dough with HPMC and xanthan significantly increased (p < 0.05) with increasing frozen storage time from 0 to 84 days.