It is estimated that until the year 2022, the global frozen fruit market will experience a significant growth, with the IQF fruit segment expected to expand at a CAGR of 5,3%.
Today’s consumers have higher expectations than ever when it comes to the quality and taste of frozen products, which puts significant pressure on frozen food processors to supply the increasing demand for such products. It is acknowledged that the only method that can meet the consumers’ expectations is applying the IQF technology in processing high quality frozen fruit and vegetables.
Complying with these high demands can be a difficult task for IQF processors, especially in terms of preserving taste and texture and maintaining the natural appearance and optimal separation of the IQF products. In their pursuit to deliver these 3 important characteristics, IQF processors encounter several challenges in the freezing process.
Good separation of the product is the only way
One of the most challenging aspects of IQF freezing fruit and vegetables is maintaining the optimal separation of the products, which can become very sticky after being diced or sliced. The stickiness of processed fruit and vegetables is the main factor that leads to lumps and blocks formation.
Give us natural appearance, good taste and good texture
Another difficult aspect that IQF processors have to face is preserving the taste, smell and texture of the products, while also ensuring minimum dehydration and maximum profitability. Maintaining the products’ natural appearance involves considering the dehydration level and minimizing it, which is an aspect that IQF processors need to take into consideration.
The level of dehydration is a major influence on the overall quality of the end products. Controlling this aspect is a real challenge, due to the fact that dehydration makes the difference in terms of how much losses the IQF processors will have. All the moisture of the products lost during the IQF freezing process translates into a loss in the products’ weight, which further leads to financial losses for IQF processors. Therefore, profitability can be increased only by understanding how to minimize dehydration.
Food Safety – a compromise you shall not make
Meeting the highest standards of food safety is another important challenge for IQF processors. Food safety has become a very important aspect to be taken into consideration by frozen food processors all over the world, as food administrations and institutes around the globe are calling food safety the number one priority.
Food processors are more and more aware of the heavy responsibility they have to supply safe products to the consumers and the pressure is increasing with every unfortunate occurring incident, such as contamination with Listeria monocytogenes or Salmonella, for example.
OctoFrost™ IQF Freezer might be ticking all your boxes
Finding the optimal equipment for IQF processing can be a difficult task, which is the reason why OctoFrost is always listening to the real needs of IQF processors. As stated above, maintaining a good separation of the products is a crucial aspect which determines the success in achieving superior IQF products, but the right transportation method of the product inside the IQF freezer is also extremely important.
The OctoFrost IQF tunnel freezer uses a special bedplate made of food grade plastic, its most notable advantages being that the bedplates can be easily removed for cleaning, while their holes ensure the optimal fluidization which keeps the products perfectly separated. The OctoFrost™ IQF tunnel freezer is the only freezer on the market that can create the optimal air flow depending on the product that will get frozen, due to its innovative and advanced technical features. With OctoFrost™ you can control the fan speed and adjust it for each of the individual freezing zones, which together with the asymmetric movement of the bedplates creates the optimal aerodynamics and ensures minimum dehydration.
Food Safety was a top priority for OctoFrost when the OctoFrost IQF tunnel freezer was designed. OctoFrost™ has some unique design features which have lifted IQF freezing hygiene to a new level. The mono-block freezer body and the removable bed plates are the most important features of the OctoFrost IQF tunnel freezer which ensure high standards of food safety for the end products. Thanks to the removable bedplates, cleaning has never been that easy and efficient. In addition, the risk of cross contamination between different batches of products is kept to a minimum, while the mono-block design ensures that no bacteria is developed inside the freezer.
As IQF fruit and vegetables are valuable and premium products, choosing the right equipment is a key decision. Make sure you properly evaluate all the characteristics of the freezer before deciding to make an investment, as this decision might increase or decrease the profit of your business.
