Air Products (Hattingen, Germany) is an industrial gas manufacturer offering solutions for meat processing under its Freshline umbrella brand that include tunnel freezers and batch freezers for batch or continuous freezing and refrigeration.
All systems use ultra-pure nitrogen. Cryogenic freezing offers advantages such as extremely high freezing speed, less weight loss due to drying, reduced enzymatic and oxidative deterioration, improved quality and texture of the meat, smaller ice crystals, microbial stability as well as improved appearance and high colour attractiveness.
The cryogenic Freshline TRS tunnel freezer was specifically designed for crust freezing of cooked and fresh products before cutting. The manufacturer promises that this will deliver a considerably shortened chilling time and continuous production of slices and pieces. Along with uniform slices, visually appealing rounds or pieces are also produced.
For chilling minced meat in meat grinders, Air Products recommends its Freshline LIN-IS. Controlled injection of liquid nitrogen into the product during mincing enables the temperature of the meat to be adjusted. The controlled nitrogen injection thus provides optimal chilling throughout the entire process. This increases the quality of the minced meat because the fats are not cleaved by heat and the meat is uniformly minced. The growth of bacteria is inhibited by the modified atmosphere surrounding the meat (exclusion of oxygen). Metmyoglobin, which is responsible for the brown colouration of the meat, is not formed.
The system also enables reproducible processes and the production of products with consistent quality for subsequent shaping.