instore - November 2016 - COM8

Equipment:

Blast freezers and
chillers
by Stephanie DeCamp

hile blast chillers and freezers
haven't been very mainstream
in the past, the technology has
seen a resurgence of interest due to increased food safety regulations, and has
evolved to work with almost any product, increasing food safety and shelf
life. When it comes to equipment ROI,
the machines are built for the long-haul,
and can outlast alternative equipment
for rapid chilling or freezing by years.
Investing in one can also expedite production for manufacturers of all sizes,
and now you can even rent one to try it
out before buying.

Designed to cool product to a specific
temperature (anywhere between 40°
and -40°F), the technology's ability to
do so at an extremely accelerated rate is
what preserves the product's freshness
and taste, says Chef Michael Williams,
director of culinary marketing in retail
for Unified Brands. The quicker you
can get your hot product down to the
specific degree in temperature that you
need to store it, he says, the more consistent its quality will be, and more importantly, the quicker you can get it out
of the temperature danger zone where
pathogens and bacteria can grow.
While blast freezers and chillers may
seem like an expensive investment, it
can be well worth your while to consider them over other alternatives, depending on what kinds of food you're
handling. "Flash freezing with liquid
nitrogen is an alternative," says Luc Imberechts, owner of Bakon USA, which
carries numerous blast freezers in its
Koma line. "However, flash freezing
can be harmful to bakery and pastry
products, as the temperatures are much
lower and, although the upfront capital

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investment is relatively low, the costs to
operate the equipment are much higher.
Blast freezers are better quality, with a
better ROI in the longterm."
Bakon's Koma blast freezers now include a new model, introduced in October at the International Baking Industry
Expo, called the Mistral blast freezer.
It's got two racks and boasts improvements over previous models upon insulation for better energy efficiency. The
Variotherm is also now available for
US standard trays, and offers complete
temperature and humidity control, allowing it to be used as either a freezer
or refrigerator, as suits your needs.
Unified's blast chillers and freezers are
specifically known for their ease of
use, Williams says. "There are many,
many grocery stores that use our blast
chillers, and it's because the employee
doesn't have to think about anything.
All they have to do is stick a probe in
it and slide the product in there, and it
will run as fast as it can until the core
temperature of the product is below
40°. It's really very easy, and it also documents the temperature path, showing
how long it took to bring the core temperature down and recording it."
For commissaries, this means easier
documentation for HACCP and FSMA
compliance. Unified's machines are also
all made of stainless steel, and come in
sizes small and large enough to fit most
workplace floorplans.
There are numerous brands and designs
to choose from however, all dependent
on your specific commissary's needs.
"Some are designed to work inline,
while others are designed for products

commissary INSIDER

MANY DESIGNS AND SIZES ARE AVAILABLE FOR ANY
SIZE WORKPLACE. PHOTO CREDIT: UNIFIED BRANDS

on racks, sometimes with automated motion," Imberechts says. "Some are also
designed for trays. The difference between the models will be the overall design, but also the power of the compressor and the position of the evaporator."
Depending on the way a food is packaged, Williams says that blast freezers
reduce the chances of freezer burn and
preserve a food's moisture better, with
the time and energy saved by the process translating into measurable savings for your company.
And if you're on the fence about which
freezing technology you'd like to go
with, you can now try it out for yourself
before making a decision. "We now offer a testing unit that the customers can
rent to run their own tests in their facility with their products," Imberechts
says of Bakon's new blast freezer testing unit. "They will then be able to
experiment and see the impact on the
quality of their foods. By testing, one
can validate the correct temperature,
air speed and time required for specific
items. With these parameters, it is much
easier to develop the correct industrial
solution for a specific situation."

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of instore - November 2016