Why it's important to use a performant food processing technology for shrimp? |
Posted: November 15, 2018 |
Seafood producers generally face more challenges than other processors in the food industry, because they have to deal with more difficult products, such as shrimp, which is harder to process. The secret for maintaining the shrimp's freshness and high-quality, while ensuring food safety and a long shelf life, lies in using a performant food processing technology. When using Cold Store freezing, both raw and cooked shrimp can develop bad odors. Furthermore, raw shrimp is very sticky, which could lead to the formation of lumps and blocks. Another problem is dehydration, which should be avoided at all costs, while the optimal freezing time is also an important aspect. Too short time can cause an incomplete freezing, while too long can lead to freezer burns and drying, which can damage the quality and texture of the product. Compared to traditional methods of freezing, using a state of the art food processing technology for Individual Quick Freezing shrimp leads to far fewer problems. After blanching, shrimps are individually transported into the machine, where they are rapidly frozen, resulting in a high-quality final product, perfectly separated and with its natural appearance intact, that can be sold at a premium price. Using a top-quality food processing technology, such as the OctoFrostTM, guarantees a much shorter freezing time, a quality freeze of the product to the core, and the highest freezing capacity per square foot. Shrimp is very sticky, which normally makes it hard to clean the IQF machinery, in order to avoid the risk of cross-contamination. However, OctoFrostTM addresses this problem through a series of design features that help avoid the appearance of bacteria and the contamination between different batches of products, therefore ensuring food safety. Furthermore, this food processing technology succeeds in minimizing dehydration, by using glazing as a pre-treatment. An IQF tunnel freezer quickly freezes the shrimp's surface, therefore moisture is not lost during the process. This means a better looking final product, but also a higher yield, which translates in an increased profitability for processors. Another benefit of using this advanced food processing technology is that IQF shrimp can be thawed in a matter of minutes or cooked straight from the frozen state. By comparison, shrimp frozen in blocks can take up to 20 hours to thaw. A faster method for thawing shrimp blocks is using a water jet, but this method can damage the shrimp and compromise the overall quality of the final product. OctoFrost's food processing technology is seen as the optimal solution for producers in the frozen food industry. Not only does it help maintain the natural appearance and quality of the shrimp, but it also keeps the products intact after thawing, while ensuring a reliable food safety and profitability for the processors. In conclusion, using a performant IQF equipment is the best approach for shrimp and other seafood, especially since consumers are becoming more and more demanding in terms of the quality of the products they buy.
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