The future, as amazing as it will be, will come with unique challenges we must face. One such challenge will be the resulting environmental impact of our current decisions. Sustainability will be a key towards a more enjoyable, healthier, and overall happier future.
But how do we get there? From wind turbines to electric cars – countless strides are made each new day on the road towards a brighter future. We would like to propose IQF as one such stepping stone, which will help pave the way forward. Here’s how:
Reducing waste
Wastefulness is one of the biggest pitfalls of modern civilization. From electricity to food – it tends to permeate our culture and the way we view things. Abundance may cause carelessness which can result in waste, which becomes a habit that’s hard to kick. Especially when not only is our fast-paced, intense way of living often benefited from occasional wastefulness, but it’s actively difficult to be less wasteful. Restaurant owners can testify to that.
These reasons make waste alone one of the first targets for change. Firstly, it’s possible to reduce waste by changing the way we view consumption: by going for less immediate gratification, it’s possible to spend more time meditating on the consequences of our actions. But to stop this from becoming too preachy: there are some highly convenient methods of helping yourself and the environment, which aren’t going to cost you extra in terms of production costs!
IQF processing is a shining example – as well as the entirety of the frozen food industry. Preservation is the natural enemy of wastefulness, and modern-day freezing technology does an excellent job of offering the best taste, texture, and value of the product. Gone are the days of unused ingredients being dropped off into the trash bin or foul smells and sticky points permeating your fridge.
Frozen food tends to be more economical, easier to store, and ultimately more practical for a vast majority of people. Convenience is a great way of motivating people to make a positive change!
What is IQF freezing and what makes it unique?
Source: jbtchina.cn
IQF or Individually-Quick-Frozen is a method of freezing food in a way as to ensure the best possible product is served. This is done by using cold jets of air to separate the individual pieces of product so that nothing sticks together and it’s more appealing than when using older methods. Defrost the exact amount you need for the recipe, and store everything safely away for next time! No waste, and complete comfort and convenience all within the confines of your kitchen.
But that’s not all! Octofrost are a team of IQF processing equipment manufacturers who have decided to take the game to the next level. Here’s what their advanced equipment line can provide:
The process starts with blanching or cooking the fruit, meat, cheese, or veggies (among many other options) with a hot waterfall-like system for a couple of minutes. Efficient cooking at this stage ensures the food will be delicious and safe to eat! Then, the chiller drops the temperature drastically and locks in all of the vitamins, preserving the shape and color in the process.
After shaking off the excess water, the freezer circulates cool air through fans and custom-designed bedplates which are created to be hygienic and easy to maintain. The end product is a beautifully separated, efficiently-made and healthy, visually appealing frozen product, ready for storage and transportation to customers everywhere.
Where traditional freezing methods encounter difficulties in presentation, especially for products such as grated cheese, this approach overcomes those barriers with ease.
A more environmentally friendly alternative
Source: fruveco.com
IQF machines prize efficiency, high yield, and maintainability highly. As a result, the production is quick, effective, and leaves nothing to be desired. By foregoing the long freezing time of other approaches, you can save time and electricity.
The water used is recirculated and reintegrated into the process while clearing it of impurities. The design has efficiency built-in, each process optimized to near-perfection. As a result, the production is more environmentally friendly than ever, allowing you to create a premium-grade product in the shortest amount of time possible.
Food distribution becomes much simpler with IQF technology – simply by being in use where food is wasted due to the impossibility of commercialization, it’s possible to freeze and store, as well as preserve it.
Impossible freshness
One of the main appeals of IQF food processing as a whole is its ability to lock in the fruits and vegetables in the near-exact state when they have initially been harvested. That makes further processing and culinary use hard to pass by. Compare that to traditionally harvested fresh fruits and vegetables, and you’ll notice one stark difference: sometimes, IQF the frozen alternatives beat the so-called fresh ones.
But how can that be? The solution to this puzzle is simple: the road from the fields to your fridge is a long one. During transportation, the product might be damaged, rustled around, and lose some of its natural appeals. Even local produce isn’t immune to these impacts – especially when considering the time it takes until you get to the shop and buy it. Unfortunately, it might also mean that some products might go bad and must be thrown out, by the end of the day.
On the flipside, by freezing it immediately after harvesting, using a fast and efficient method, you can lock in all the vitamins and minerals inside.
Another especially palatable distinction of the freezing method lies in the size of the ice crystals – and the way they affect the taste! As the ice crystals produced during IQF freezing process are exceedingly small, they won’t break any cellular wall – leading to good preservation of the texture, shape, and taste.
Not only are the customers getting more nutrient-rich version of the product, but it looks, tastes, and feels better than most other frozen alternatives – potentially, even better than their fresh, but stale, counterparts. That’s a value you can’t put a price on.
