Difference Between Air Blast Freezing Process and Freezers

Air blast freezing (individual freezing equipment) is a process that rapidly freezes food by exposing it to extremely low-temperature air. Unlike traditional slow freezing, air blast freezing creates very small ice crystals inside the food, preventing damage to the food's cell structure. This helps retain the food's original texture, nutritional content, and flavor. In contrast, slow freezing forms larger ice crystals that can puncture cell membranes, leading to a decrease in food quality.

A freezing tunnel is a common device used to achieve air blast freezing. It works by placing the food to be frozen on a continuous conveyor belt, which passes through a tunnel where refrigerants cool the air, rapidly freezing the food. This process ensures the food's temperature is quickly lowered to the required low range, maintaining its structure and nutritional integrity.

Applications of Tunnel Freezers

Tunnel freezers are widely used for the rapid freezing of various foods, especially those that require quick freezing while maintaining their original shape and quality. These devices are ideal for freezing fruits, vegetables, meats, seafood, dairy products, and more. Examples include asparagus, broccoli, carrots, strawberries, beef, portioned meats, shrimp, fish fillets, and meatballs. Tunnel freezers ensure that food retains its freshness and nutritional content.

The main advantage of tunnel freezers is their ability to freeze large quantities of material in a short period, meeting the high efficiency demands of production lines. The rapid freezing process helps inhibit microbial growth, extending the shelf life of the food. Additionally, the strong airflow ensures that each piece of food is exposed to uniform cold air, avoiding issues such as uneven freezing or damaged food that may occur with traditional freezing methods.

Features of Tunnel Freezers

• Eco-efficient: Tunnel freezers use environmentally friendly compressors and refrigerants, improving energy efficiency while meeting modern industrial environmental standards.
• High-efficiency shock mesh belt design: The shock mesh belt design ensures the uniform flow of cold air, making the freezing process more efficient and preventing uneven freezing.
• Unique air duct design: The air ducts inside the tunnel are carefully designed to stabilize and evenly distribute airflow. High-speed airflow ensures that food is fully exposed to cold air during freezing, preserving the quality of the food.
• Vibration mechanism: To prevent the mesh belt from clogging due to frost buildup during freezing, tunnel freezers are equipped with a separate vibration mechanism. This feature reduces airflow resistance, ensuring smooth air circulation and preventing food from sticking or clumping together.
• Energy-efficient: Tunnel freezers have a high energy conversion rate, which helps reduce energy consumption during operation, ultimately saving operational costs for manufacturers.

Tunnel freezers are modern, highly efficient, and environmentally friendly freezing devices that combine high performance with energy-saving capabilities. As technology advances, their application range continues to expand, making them an indispensable piece of equipment in the food processing industry. Through careful design and optimization, tunnel freezers not only improve production efficiency but also maximize the retention of food's freshness and nutritional content, ensuring high-quality frozen products.