One of the main advantages of this method of preparing frozen food is that the freezing process takes very short time (only a few minutes with the exact time depending on the type of IQF freezer and product frozen). The short freezing time does not allow the formation of large ice crystals in the product’s cells which would destroy the membrane structures at molecular level. This makes the product keep its shape; Colour, smell and taste after defrost, at a far greater extent.
Another significant advantage of IQF technology is its ability to separate the products during the freezing process, which results in products of higher quality when compared to those which are block frozen for example. This advantage is also important for food sustainability as it allows the defrost and use of the exact needed quantity as opposed to defrosting a bigger block and dispose of the unneeded or unused portion. There is a range of IQF technologies, but the main concept is to transport the product into the freezer with the help of a processing line belt or infeed shaker. Inside the freezer the product travels through the freezing zone and comes out on the other side. The transportation of the product inside the freezer can be achieved through different technologies depending on the IQF freezer’s brand. There are solutions based on transportation belts inside the freezer which is similar to a conveyor belt. Other latest innovations include bed plates on which the product lands and an asymmetrical movement is used for making the product advance by itself in the freezer.
