Freezing and Chilling

How did the introduction of cryogenics in production processes transform the food industry?

Freezing has been used for years in order to safely preserve food products. As refrigerated transportation improved along with better developments in home refrigerators and freezers, the popularity of frozen foods really started to grow. The food industry was already using mechanical systems for their refrigeration needs but consumers were looking for “healthy” frozen food options that had retained its initial quality and nutritional value. As a result, cryogenics were adopted by many frozen food manufacturers due to its much colder freezing temperatures that better preserved the product’s original texture, colour, flavour and nutritional attributes while ensuring a higher quality product due to the faster freezing rate.

What role has Air Liquide played in this transformation?

As the range of frozen foods has evolved, Air Liquide has also developed new innovative cryogenic solutions to freeze any type of food product, whether it be a solid or a liquid. Our customized offers include gas, equipment, expertise and technical support service that meet the required standards and regulations for food quality and safety while delivering an optimized cost of ownership for the food manufacturer. Thanks to the freezing power of cryogenics, we will continue to transform the industry with every new frozen food opportunity.

What challenges will Air Liquide face as it continues to innovate in the food industry?

We must always be ready to adapt to the changing needs of our customers in the frozen food industry. Our solutions need to continue to address food safety, quality, process efficiency, and traceability requirements for the industry and we must be ready to consider digital technology enhancements for our innovations.

Other challenges include ensuring compliance with government legislation and finding solutions to further extend the current shelf life of food products without compromising food safety and quality.