Advantages Of IQF Technology

IQF technology is a revolutionary invention, with a lot to offer and far from one of the fads you might be used to.

The advantages are hard to replicate, thoroughly useful, and easy to incorporate in practically any manufacturing line, thanks to efforts such as Octofrost’s innovative IQF technology. But how does it work? Keep reading to find out everything that IQF brings to the table, and the best vantage points to have while deciding how to best take advantage of it.

An introduction

As with any broad topic, the best place to start is with a summary or overview – and IQF technology is no different. Having initially arisen in the 1960s, IQF has taken over the frozen food industry by storm and continues supplying excellent solutions to problems that have plagued it since the start. Taste, flavor, and texture are only some of the aspects which receive help from IQF treatment, among many more.

The way it works is deceptively simple and is contained within the name itself, as IQF stands for individually quick-frozen. This technology rapidly freezes the products placed in the freezer using modern approaches such as movement. The result is the ability to freeze small pieces of the fresh product, without any adverse effects. The individual pieces don’t stick together, keep a natural appeal long after being frozen and supply an extraordinary nutritionary benefit.

Here’s how it works:

• Step 1: The product is initially loaded into a specialized tray or vessel, where it is then carefully, yet swiftly, transported further. Different processing lines from Octofrost often are made for specific products, with the option of express delivery through a custom-designed entry point. The quicker you’re able to cook and chill the product throughout the processing line, without affecting the external structure, the more nutrient-rich and visually appealing your frozen product will be.
• Step 2: Blanching of the product – using a soft, yet robust rain shower system, your product will be washed of impurities and thoroughly blanched, at a specific temperature set by you. Octofrost’s devices allow for extensive control over this process, offering various temperature zones and fine control over the precise temperatures used. This allows for the best blanching time, which is vital when working on food products that are otherwise difficult to process.
• Step 3: Wash the product down with chilly water to transfer heat effectively and perfect processing time. By going fast at this stage, it’s possible to block the vitamins and nutrients inside, ensuring a healthier product, rich in a variety of useful substances. Expedient processing at this stage also helps with keeping the best coloring and texture, which can often cause significant increases in production quality on its own.
• Step 4: After a quick rinse and shaking off leftover water, the product is transferred to Octofrost’s IQF freezing technology – the IQF Freezer. Several excellent innovations help Octofrost’s Freezer stand out from the rest: there are unique bedplates that let chilly air flow through the porous holes built into them. This helps separate the individual pieces of the product, leading to a frozen product that is more visually appealing and easier to use when cooking. The higher utility makes it a better choice for many customers. The bedplates are easy to replace and can be maintained without stopping production, leading to increased hygiene and efficiency.

Unique advantages of the Octofrost IQF Freezer

A PLC-operated Snow Removal System (SRS) helps keep the front of the coil clean and helps extend the time window between defrosting and cleaning. The lack of snow build-up helps keep the functioning of the machines smooth and minimizes the amount of necessary human intervention. This has the added advantage of reducing product dehydration, which creates a better end-product that preserves most of the water inside the product.

Thanks to the advanced design, it’s possible to offer excellent advantages in terms of efficiency to industry experts and novices alike. The challenging work that went into designing the most modern iteration of an IQF freezer is put on display through novel mechanisms – reducing the already low energy requirements even further.

Reduction in energy costs, coupled with quick processing speeds and minimal maintenance requirements means that it’s easy to gain a significant advantage over your competition, within a short timeframe. The more frozen products you create, the faster it will be bought by consumers from all over the world, as transportation and storage are simple and efficient.

Frozen IQF products have been around for a while, and they’ve already cornered a large part of the market share when it comes to sliced, or fine-grained products. Octofrost takes it one step further, by offering anyone the opportunity to launch a successful business in even the more challenging domains of food processing, such as seafood, dairy, and meats.

With the help of unique product lines, efficient set-ups, and customizable parameters, it’s possible to create a highly effective manufacturing line, tailored for your business’s needs.

Beyond the basics

IQF technology has proven itself a terrific addition to most frozen food businesses, thanks to its reliability, efficiency, and ability to create premium-grade products at high rates. Its advantages exceed the restraints of what can be breached in terms of this article, but a few of note are:

• Continuous 24-hour freezing;
• Tailor-made models;
• High yield and low resource consumption;
• Excellent sustainability and ecologically friendly measures are in place.

If you’re looking for a place to begin your journey into the frozen food processing world, or improve your existing processes, Octofrost’s IQF equipment line is the perfect place to start. The ease of maintenance, efficiency, and processing speed, coupled with its ability to produce high-demand products will ensure the long-term payoff of current investments. Additionally, the individual machinery can be easily integrated into existing production lines, boosting productivity with minimal effort on your part.

With multiple customizability options, varied product entry points for texture and structure preservation, and fast processing times, it’s ideal for frozen food processing in 2021.