Freezing is not limited to just refrigerators and storage. There is a wide range of refrigeration technology that is being used in the food production industry right now. From Flash Freezers, to Blast Chillers, Tunnel Freezers to Spiral Freezers, and a lot more. The advent of these new technologies have revolutionized the way in which the food and production industry manage their inventory and process their storage.
These technologies have allowed for products to be stored for long periods of time, thus, facilitating the availability of even seasonal goods all year round. As such, consumers have never before had such a wide range of choices when it comes to the products they consume on a daily basis.
One of these technologies at the forefront of food production is IQF, also known as Individual Quick Freezing.
This article will go over the basics of what IQF is, the industries in which it has seen the most use as well as its benefits.
What is IQF?
IQF or Individual Quick Freezing is a freezing technology that arose due to the need of products being frozen without sticking to one another. Often, there are products that need to be frozen while laving the least amount of contact with the rest of the products being frozen. Previously, for items such as fruits or certain meats, the products would be vacuum packed and then frozen. However, this was an expensive and ineffective method, especially if you consider other products such as peas or beans or berries or even shrimp.
This lead to the creation of IQF Technology. IQF Freezing is the solution to freezing products while maintaining individual separation between the items that are being frozen. This technology revolutionized the food and production industry and found great success among consumers due to the convenience it brought to the table.
For example. prior to this technology, frozen peas would come frozen like a block and consumers had to defrost and melt the ice so as to make it easy to separate them. But with IQF Freezing, it became possible to have a different approach to this. Products could now be easily separated based on the amount needed and have the rest placed back into the refrigerator.
Industries that benefited :
The IQF Freezing revolution swept over the world and made it so that it almost became a standard for customers to expect their products to be processed through IQF Freezing. Industries ranging from sea food providers, to fruit processors as well as the restaurant and meat industries have adopted IQF Freezing. There are also instances of IQF Freezing being used for medical purposes.
The industry for shrimp has flourished after the advent of IQF Freezing. Prior to the use of IQF Freezing, it was common place for frozen shrimp to be clunky and stuck together. But with IQF Freezing, it became possible to freeze shrimp not just individually but also possible to ensure that the product would not suffer from discolouration or damage which was an issue that was common place prior to the advent of IQF Freezing.
The benefits of IQF Freezing :
By this point in the discussion, we can safely say that the benefits of IQF Freezing are many and varied. IQF Freezing has allowed for companies and distributors alike to simplify their production line, reduce cost and complication and even release products with better and innovative packaging. Food producers and manufacturers were now able to use IQF Freezing to freeze products covering an extremely wide range. From berries to fruits with soft skin, to shrimp and meats individually separated to vegetables that require individual freezing for packaging purposes, IQF Freezing has managed to break all boundaries and make itself a part of our daily lives to an extend we don’t realise and often take for granted.
Investing in an IQF Freezer :
If you have read this far, then you are probably looking to purchase an IQF Freezer. Prior to purchasing an IQF Freezer, it is important to consider exactly what it is that you wish to freeze and in what quantities. It is also worth noting whether the product that you are trying to freeze in an IQF Freezer poses a substantial gain from being IQF Frozen rather than your current method of freezing. Another point to consider is the space you have in your factory or location as well as budget. IQF Freezers are generally built to handle large amounts of produce at a time. Most start off at around 6 meters in length and scale upwards and are substantially pricier than a typical run of the mill refrigerator. But if you believe that you have enough product to sell and that your business stands to benefit greatly from the use of an IQF Freezer, then please do not hesitate to buy one.
Upon considering all these factors, it becomes easier to make a choice as to what would be best suitable for your business and its needs.