Bringing you the benefits of many decades of expertise in cryogenic chilling and freezing
One of the key challenges in the food industry is the effective control or – even better – elimination of bacterial activity. And one of the most effective weapons in the fight against bacteria is chilling and freezing.
When the temperature is lowered below freezing point, the growth of microorganisms decreases rapidly. This is due not only to the lowering of the product temperature, but also to the reduction in free liquid water activity – thus depriving microorganisms of the water they need to metabolize.
Chilling a food product reduces the risk of bacterial growth. Rapidly chilling (also known as flash freezing or cryogenic freezing) a product mitigates this risk even further.
Cryogenic freezing also maintains the natural quality of food. When a product is frozen, ice crystals are formed. The smaller and more evenly distributed the crystals, the better the quality and taste of the frozen product. The only way to ensure that small crystals form uniformly throughout the food product, both inside and outside the cells, is to quick-freeze the food at cryogenic temperatures.
Decades of Expertise
As the global leader in advanced food chilling and freezing technologies, we have been providing innovative solutions for decades and are uniquely qualified to meet your most pressing needs. We offer a full range of cryogenic freezers for fast in-line freezing and cooling. Our cryogenic solutions use carbon dioxide or nitrogen gases to quickly lower the temperature of food products, either to improve productivity for downstream processes or as a means of natural preservation by refrigerated temperatures.
Cryogenic chilling and freezing preserve the natural food quality by locking-in the freshness, reducing product yield losses, and maintaining flavor and taste that consumers and chefs demand. Cryogenic liquid gases are also an effective, flexible and low-noise way of maintaining the precise temperature of chilled or frozen foodstuffs during transit.
Carbon dioxide (CO2) snow, also known as dry ice, is a very effective and easy-to-use cooling medium. At atmospheric pressure, liquid carbon dioxide converts to solid carbon dioxide snow at –79ºC (–109ºF). The solid phase of CO2 makes it extremely effective for products in mixers, blenders, containers, cartons and combos.
CO2 snow is most effective in conjunction with custom-design snow horns or nozzles. We have engineered a range of dedicated expansion nozzles that guarantee efficient snow generation and rapid cooling. We also offer a variety of snow horns ranging from manual and portable units to permanent installations. All of our cryogenic equipment is designed for the highest efficiency levels while meeting the highest industry hygiene standards .
To find out more information on how we can help you meet your industry-specific freezing and cooling challenges such as:
- Dairy
Handling sensitive dairy products, in particular hardening ice cream, stabilising desserts, etc./li> - Dry Foods & Bakery Freezing part-baked breads, fast-freezing rolls, pretzels and prepared bakery products, etc.
- Fish & Seafood
Safe handling of entire fish and fish fillets, shrimps, clams and other shellfish - Fruit & Vegetables
Maintaining shape, texture and flavor after defrosting – especially with high-value produce such as strawberries and raspberries - Meat
Minimizing contamination risks for burgers, sliced meats, chopped or diced meats and cut meats (such as cutlets) - Prepared & Catered Foods
Maintaining quality for IFQ (individually quick-frozen) foods, ready-made meals, pizzas, battered and fried products as well as coated products.
Food Freezing
Building on many years of experience to deliver flexible cryogenic chilling innovations guaranteed to optimise results in even the most quality-critical mobile and stationary applications.
Our numerous freezers meet the needs of a variety of applications. Modern freezer designs use the latest control programs to increase efficiency while meeting stringent hygiene standards.
Cryogenic freezing of food with liquid nitrogen (LIN) and carbon dioxide (LIC) is a well-established practice that relies on the gases physical properties of powerful cold temperatures (–196°C or –320°F, in the case of liquid nitrogen). The power of cryogenic freezing instantly locks in product yield, preserves flavor, and delivers superior product quality not obtained by other means of freezing.
The CRYOLINE® family of food chilling equipment meets these modern requirements. To see what will work best for you, please review the information contained in the specific food product or freezer pages.
Engineering Facilities
Wherever you find Linde, you’ll also find dedicated application engineers trained to support every aspect of a cryogenic freezing installation, from the gas storage tank to the freezer.
Installation drawings often facilitate liaison with plant engineers to ensure trouble free installation. Our service doesn’t stop with installation, once the equipment is in operation our engineers will check the entire system at regular intervals to ensure that everything is in optimum working order.
The Linde CRYOLINE Family
Cryogenic freezing and cooling of foodstuffs using liquid nitrogen and carbon dioxide is a well-established technology that has been enhancing food processing for many years.
Benefits of our Cryogenic Freezers :
- Fast in-line freezing and cooling, thus preserving flavor
- Higher quality of the frozen product compared with slower methods
- Reduced drip loss on defrosting
- Less dehydration resulting in a higher yield
- Lower space requirements
- Different types of freezers available to suit the requirements of different foodstuffs.
Equipment Benefits :
- Most equipment delivered 'ready to run'
- Only a few days generally needed to install equipment
- "Most standard equipment available off the shelf"
- Standard equipment is available for rent or sale in most countries
- Low maintenance design
- The equipment is easy to use and requires no special knowledge
- Training for key staff given on start up.