Technology Features & Specifications
- During the production of cold food products, such as ice cream, after the freezing process (-5 degrees C) in a scraped surface heat exchanger, aerated ice cream is pumped into the extruder for repeated rolling and cooling in order to enhance the portion of small ice crystals. Afterwards, the food product is filled in suitable packages and cooled down to a storage temperature below −20 degrees C.
- The technology aids in achieving a more accurate temperature transfer during the processing by using the mechanism of repeated rolling out and stretching to thin layers, creating a large surface area with high heat transfer rates.
Potential Applications
- The use of planetary extruders in the production of cold food products widens the application range for extrusion by operating in a range of temperatures.
- Products that require a defined temperature profile for controlled crystallization are a promising application sector for this technology. This includes the processing of products, such as ice cream, butter, and margarine.
- The technology enables thin layering of cold food products, resulting in extending the application prospects to spreadable and viscous products, such as sausages, vegetable spreads, and cream cheese.
Market Trends and Opportunities
According to Frost & Sullivan’s analysis, the canned, frozen, and perishable groceries market was valued at 814.69 billion in 2017. It is anticipated that by 2030, the segment will be a trillion dollar market. This low shear extrusion technology has the potential to improve the quality of food products of such a large market by improving sensory qualities, such as melting rate, consistency and so on.
Customer Benefits
- Optimization of sensory quality parameters – The novel low shear extrusion process vastly improves the sensory quality attributes of the final cold product by improving the distribution of crystals and reducing the size of crystals to smaller diameters compared to conventional processes. Using this technology, high-quality ice cream with small ice crystals and a creamy mouthfeel can be achieved.
- Reduced energy and time – The extrusion process results in reduced output temperature to upto -20 degrees C compared to -5 degrees C in conventional processes that do not employ extrusion. This results in reduced time and energy requirements for cold food products manufacturing.
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