The main objective of the freezing tunnels is to extract the heat from the products so that they can be stored at the ideal temperature of -18ºC. The time necessary for the food product to reach this temperature is variable, since it depends on the type of food and its chemical and physical properties.
Freezing food before storage extends its useful life for a certain period of time. This time also depends on other factors such as the product’s physical and chemical properties and the production process ...
Freezing tunnels can be used for plant products such as fruit, vegetables, and greens, as well as those of animal origin such as meat and fish. This makes it a highly versatile form of freezing, which can be adapted to meet a range of different needs within the agrofoods sector.
When introducing a food product into the tunnel, it’s important to remember that it must be properly packaged with material that has low air resistance. It should also be placed in such a way as to ensure air can circulate properly to allow the freezing process to take place properly.
Different kinds of freezing tunnels.
The most commonly used type of freezing tunnel is the one using carts or trays, but there are other types such as those using spiral freezing systems, dragging, high-speed air jets, conveyor belt systems, etc.
The isolation panels used to make these tunnels are usually between 100 and 200 mm thick according to different needs. These ensure a good thermal performance, enhanced by quality coating to give a polished and functional long-lasting finish and insulation performance.
Advantages of using a freezing tunnel.
- Substantial reduction in time taken to insert product into the distribution chain.
- Reduced labour and handling by personnel.
- Easy to integrate in existing processing facilities.
- Improvement in productivity given the reduction in idle time.
-Reduction in cleaning times.
- Easy to install at a low cost.
-No exhaustive maintenance required.
- Other high productivity systems can be incorporated.
- Reduced dehydration of the product, leading to a better all-round result.
- It can be adapted to other existing systems used in production lines.
- This is a scalable system, meaning that it can be easily expanded.
-Uniform freezing.
-High cold transference rate.
-Easy to use.
