OctoFrost™ IQF Solutions for processing tropical fruits

Processing tropical fruits can vary from a wide range of steps. From washing, destoning, dicing, blanching, chilling, IQF freezing and always depending on the product and what the processor goal is to achieve. The key to a high quality IQF tropical fruit, is choosing the optimal processing equipment for this application. In addition, to optimal individual equipment it is also crucial to have optimized and harmonized connections between all the machines. The goal which all tropical fruit processors are following is to preserve the natural appearance of the products with a natural taste and texture and the OctoFrost™ food processing equipment achieves just that.   

Blanching tropical fruits

The OctoFrost™ IF Blancher is an innovative solution used by many tropical fruit processors. Due to the flexibility of the machine, it can feature a rain-shower system, a steam system or a combination of the two. This technological feature is very important for cut fruit where retaining the juices is very important. The OctoFrost™ blanching tunnel is the optimal food processing equipment for preserving the natural aspect of the tropical fruits. 

As research shows that longer blanching dramatically affects the level of vitamin in fruits and vegetables, with the OctoFrost™ blanching machine this is avoided. Due to the fast heat transfer, over-blanching is avoided therefore nutrients are not lost.

Chilling tropical fruits

Chilling the tropical fruits before IQF freezing is a very important step as it directly affects the freezing result and production capacity. Chilling must be done fast and efficient and this is possible with the OctoFrost™ IF Chiller which uses a rain-shower with a cross-flow system for quickest chilling. The OctoFrost™ chilling tunnel does not dehydrate the product and it achieves the fastest heat transfer by using 1°C ice-cold water. By the means of its cross-flow water system, the high volume of 1°C ice-cold water is passing through the product layer and then immediately exits the tunnel for being re-chilled. This way the water has the exact same temperature in any part of the chilling tunnel and a low core temperature is achieved much quicker. 

IQF Freezing

The OctoFrost™ IQF freezing tunnel is an already popular freezing machine used on the IQF market. This IQF freezer achieves high-quality IQF product while maintaining energy efficiency, high yield and a reliable food safety. Due to the usually high brix in tropical fruits, processors might struggle with good product separation, however this issue is solved in the OctoFrost™ freezer tunnel. The fully adjustable airflow ensures a good separation even with the stickiest products. In addition, the exchangeable bedplates gently transport the product through the tunnel, leaving no marks on the soft fruit. And finally, the open design and the mono-block body of the freezer makes it easy to clean and therefore quickly change products. All in all, tropical fruits processors around the world are repeatedly preferring the OctoFrost™ IQF freezer  for achieving premium IQF product. 

OctoFrost IQF Processing Line

The OctoFrost™ IF Blancher, IF Chiller and IQF freezer can together form the OctoFrost™ IQF Processing Line, for customers looking for a turn-key processing solution. The innovativeness of all this range of processing machines are coming with individual benefits described above, however there are additional benefits for opting for a full IQF processing solution: 

- Harmonized sizes of individual processing equipment for keeping up with the desired capacities.

- Optimized connection between all equipment for reliable functionality and best performance.

- One source responsibility for technical service and support.

The OctoFrost™ IQF Processing Line will help the tropical fruit processors achieve premium IQF product with a food safe, energy efficient IQF line. Additional intermediate equipment can also be offered depending on the needs of each of our customers.