New Cryogenic Freezing and Cooling Project

A new collaborative project involving BOC, the UK & Ireland’s largest supplier of industrial gases, a number of major food companies and the University of Lincoln, has now begun and is set to revolutionize ready meals.

Partly funded by Innovate UK, the two-year project aims to develop an innovative cooking and cooling system that would dramatically improve the quality and healthiness of ready meals, while also reducing current food waste levels and increasing the speed of production.

The Advanced Cooking and Cooling Technology project (ACCT) will seek to combine two food manufacturing processes: fast cooling with a new cryogenic rapid cooler from BOC, UK leader in cryogenic freezing and chilling technologies for food production and rapid cooking of food using Olympus Automation Ltd’s patented steam infusion Vaction™ technology.

Cedric Hanson, BOC’s Business Development manager, Application Technology, commented: “BOC is delighted to be a partner in this project. Our cryogenic rapid cooler is the latest in line of innovations that BOC is introducing into the UK and – together with our project partners – we look forward to integrating the cooler with OAL’s rapid steam infusion to produce a commercial, just-in-time production system”.

The other partners of the project are Iceland Manufacturing and The University of Lincoln. The project will be undertaken at the National Centre for Food Manufacturing, Holbeach, UK.