IQF blueberries and common processing challenges

Among all the frozen segments, the IQF blueberry is projected to be the fastest growing in the coming years due to the growing demand of the bakery and confectionery industries around the world.

Freezing blueberries IQF is quite easy, but there are challenges to overcome to make a difference in profitability.

The challenges are:

  • Dehydration
  • Stems, flowers and leaves
  • Cracks
  • Appearance
  • Bright

Typical pretreatment for blueberries is precooling, and then draining efficiently to avoid excess water on the surface of the product. Washing is a common practice for cultivated blueberries, but it is rare to wash wild blueberries. Another common pretreatment is de-stemming with a rotating drum.

Most freezers require that blueberry leaves be removed before freezing. If the air flow is well controlled in the freezer, it can be tolerant of the leaves instead of blowing them towards the coil. As the leaves fly more easily when they cool, it is important to control the speed of the air in the freezer.

The stems and flowers must be separated from the fruit, which is facilitated by lowering the temperature, in some cases down to -36C. The exact temperature depends on the type and size of the blueberry. Small wild blueberries require cooler temperatures.

Mechanical movement controlled during freezing, for example, true fluidization, separates loose flowers and stems efficiently at a higher temperature. In addition, true fluidization polishes the berries for a better appearance.

Cracks and superficial burns may occur on the surface of the berry due to too slow freezing time and / or the use of metal mesh bands. Another reason for the cracks is the moisture on the surface of the product when introduced into the freezer. A good solution is to cool the blueberries in a Water Bath cooler and use an air knife in combination with the zaranda to obtain a uniform result without cracks.

Dehydration is often a parameter that is not taken into account despite an increase in the yield of 2 to 5%, which means an increase in the annual benefit of 2,5% without spending additional money on raw materials, electricity and energy. work.

The OctoFrost as a blueberry freezer

The OctoFrost ™ freezer is designed with multiple freezing zones - each with adjustable fan speed and therefore controlled fluidization in the freezer. With this feature, the freezer is tolerant to leaves and can remove excess leaves and separate the stems and flowers from the fruit. This process takes place at a higher temperature and is therefore less expensive.

The controlled air speed reduces power consumption in two steps. Lower energy consumption for fan operation and lower energy consumption in the cooling plant to cool the fans. A saving of 30% on the electricity bill.

The aerodynamics of the eight-corner freezer is the solution to reduce dehydration during freezing.

Source
PortalFruticola

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