How to Enhance Food Safety, Yield, and Quality through Automation

Nov 08, 2023

In the world of food processing, ensuring the highest levels of food safety while maintaining product quality and yield is a top priority. For the seafood industry, where maintaining the freshness and integrity of products is of utmost importance, the introduction of automated solutions has been a game-changer. In this blog post, we will explore how the OctoFrost Chiller and IQF Tunnel Freezer solve the challenge of food safety, all the while enhancing product yield, production capacity, and product quality.

The Food Safety Challenge

The seafood industry, especially the shrimp processing sector, faces numerous challenges in terms of food safety. Shrimp are highly perishable and prone to contamination, which can lead to foodborne illnesses if not handled correctly. Traditional processing methods, such as manual handling and slow freezing, can be a breeding ground for bacteria, compromising the safety of the final product.

Automation: A Solution to Food Safety Challenges

Our cutting-edge automated shrimp processing chiller and freezer have been meticulously designed to address these challenges head-on. Here's how they make a substantial difference:

Rapid Cooling: The OctoFrost Impingement Flash Chiller is equipped with state-of-the-art cooling technology ensuring rapid cooling of shrimp to low core temperatures within 2-3 minutes. Maintaining a 1°C – 1.5 °C water temperature throughout the chiller is vital for preserving shrimp quality and preventing the growth of harmful bacteria.

OctoFrost IF Chiller

Precise Temperature Control: Maintaining the perfect temperature is crucial in seafood processing. The OctoFrost Chiller offers precise temperature control, ensuring that shrimp are always processed at temperatures below 5°C for preservation and safety.
Hygienic Design: Unlike other chillers in the market, The OctoFrost Chiller comes with a self-cleaning filter, featuring in-built filtration and water recirculation. This not only meets hygiene standards but also reduces water consumption by up to 15 times. Furthermore, the OctoFrost IQF Freezer features an open design, stainless steel surfaces, and removable freezer bedplates for swift and efficient cleaning and sanitation.
Automation: Automation reduces the need for human intervention, minimizing the risk of cross-contamination. It ensures that the entire process is consistent and follows strict safety standards. This is achievable using an automatic infeed belt with flow control.

Customizable settings: It is not uncommon for processors to simultaneously process different kinds of shrimp. With the OctoFrost IQF Freezer, it is possible to freeze them within one freezer. The equipment can be tailored to meet the specific needs of your processing facility, allowing for different processing times and temperatures, depending on your shrimp products. It is safe to say you can process all kinds of shrimp, 15 to 500 counts, whether peeled, headless, or tail on.

Enhancing Product Yield and Quality

Ensuring food safety does not have to come at the expense of product yield and quality. In fact, our automated chiller and freezer are engineered to enhance both:

Higher Product Yield: Rapid cooling and freezing reduce moisture and weight loss that is common in traditional processing methods. This means a higher yield and better value for your product. Additionally, the IQF freezer's short defrosting, cleaning, and restart time of 60 to 90 minutes allows you to run equipment for extended production hours, with potential for up to 22 hours of uninterrupted production.
Improved Product Quality: The quick-freezing process prevents the formation of ice crystals that can damage the texture and taste of shrimp. As a result, your shrimp products maintain their natural appearance and taste. The use of bedplate technology ensures no clumping or belt marks, while fluidization preserves the integrity of shrimp tails and feet.
Reduced Product Waste: With precise temperature control and automation, there's less risk of over-processing or damaging the product. This means reduced product waste, lower costs, and improved sustainability.

Triple glazing in one freezer

With the introduction of the OctoFrost Multi-level Impingement Freezer, you can now glaze shrimp up to three times within the same freezer made possible with the use of three belt levels. Depending on the product, this ensures up to 30% glaze within a single freezer – a lucrative option for shrimp processors.

In conclusion, the OctoFrost automated shrimp processing equipment is at the forefront of ensuring food safety while maintaining high product yield and quality. With rapid cooling and freezing, precise temperature control, and a focus on automation, our equipment is a valuable addition to any shrimp processing facility. Don't compromise on food safety or product quality – choose innovation and efficiency with our state-of-the-art equipment. Contact us today to learn more about how we can transform your shrimp processing operations.