What is IQF freezing?

IQF stands for individual quick freezing. It is a common freezing method in the foodservice industry and consists of freezing individual pieces of food separately from the other pieces at extremely low temperatures. IQF is also referred to as flash freezing, quick freeze, or super freeze.

How does IQF freezer work?

Mechanical IQF freezers work on the principle of cold air circulation, which flows from underneath the bed plate or transportation belt with the help of fans. The cold airflow keeps passing through the pieces of product in circular motions while the product is also advancing through the freezer towards the exit end.

What is the difference between IQF and blast freezing?

The main difference is the size and quantity of the frozen product; cold store freezing is used for large volumes of bigger sized products such as whole chicken or packed meat. IQF, on the other hand, is ideal for freezing smaller products such as small fruit, fruit cubes, vegetables, cheese, pasta, etc.

Why is IQF important?

IQF ensures that the food being frozen will freeze while producing almost no ice crystals inside of the product itself. This ultra-fast freezing of the food prevents the cells within the food from becoming damaged. Also, it preserves it, which results in a much higher quality end product.

Why Quick freezing is better than slow freezing?

Rapid freezing improves the quality of the food. The faster food freezes, the smaller the crystals that form. Slow freezing produces large ice crystals that punch through cell membranes. As a result, when foods with large ice crystals thaw, there is more dripping and loss of liquid.

What are the methods of freezing?

A GUIDE THROUGH DIFFERENT FREEZING TECHNOLOGIES

• A guide through different freezing technologies.
• Air Blast Freezer or Cold Storage Freezer.
• Cartoon Freezer/ Box Freezer.
• Spiral Belt Freezer.
• Fluidized Bed Freezer or IQF Freezer (Tunnel Freezer)
• Immersion Freezer or Brine Freezer.
• Plate Freezer or Block Freezer.

Why is it called a deep freezer?

When the first freestanding freezers for home use were made, they were boxy chest styles with hinged lids that opened from the top. Based on their shape and the fact you had to reach deep inside to retrieve food, they earned the moniker of deep freezers.

How long does quick freeze take?

We recommend that you turn on the fast freeze function about three hours before placing the food in the freezer. Fresh food that is frozen slowly will have larger ice crystals in it when compared to food that is frozen quicker.

What is the quickest freezing method?

The fastest method for freezing is the liquid nitrogen freezer (LNF) with which most seafood products can be completely frozen in just a few minutes. LNF systems usually operate on the counter flow principle, since the liquid nitrogen is only sprayed in the rear section of the freezing plant.

Which is the cheapest and oldest freezing method?

As it is the cheapest freezing method, air blast freezers are used on a wide range of products. In some alternative versions of this method, the product is placed on rack trays and is frozen inside the cold storage with the help of cold air circulation.

What IQF means?

individually quick-frozen
Learn about this topic in these articles: …a technology known as the individually quick-frozen (IQF) method. IQF is a method that does not allow large ice crystals to form in vegetable cells. Also, since each piece is individually frozen, particles do not cohere, and the final product is not frozen into a solid block.

Who is the father of frozen food?

Clarence Birdseye
Clarence Birdseye: Father of Frozen Food. The frozen food industry would be nothing without Clarence Birdseye, the man responsible for Birds Eye frozen foods, which is currently owned by Pinnacle Foods Inc.

What are the differences between IQF and cold store freezing?

IQF freezes the product faster to the core. The major difference between Cold Store freezing and IQF is the freezing time required. Cold store freezing has a slow freezing time, thus the expansion of water during freezing leads to the formation of bigger ice crystals.

What is IQF means in food service?

Individual Quick Freezing (IQF) is a method of food preservation unlike any other. Using advanced technology, individual pieces of meat (or poultry, fish, vegetables, etc.) are rapidly frozen, retaining both quality and taste.

What is an IQF product?

Individual Quick Freezing usually abbreviated IQF is a freezing method used in food processing industry. Products commonly frozen with IQF technologies are typically smaller pieces of food products and can range from all types of berries, fruits and vegetables diced or sliced, seafood such as shrimps and small fish,…

What is tunnel freezer?

Tunnel Freezer. A tunnel freezer is a type of instant quick freezer (I.Q.F). Unlike plate freezer and spiral freezer, the tunnel freezer usually travels horizontally through a long enclosed compartment (cold tunnel) and cold air is circulated upward through the product.