Cryogenic freezing aids cookie manufacturing, says Linde exec
Mark DiMaggio, Head of food and beverage at Linde LLC, said raw cookie dough can vary in temperature, which can adversely impact the repeatability of the slicing and shaping of cookies. This can be especially disruptive for high production capacities.
DiMaggio advocates using in-line cryogenic processing with liquid carbon dioxide or liquid nitrogen to save costs and enhance speed, efficiency and space.
How can it improve the process?
Using the example of Linde’s Cryoline XF spiral freezer, DiMaggio told this site that the system can help create a more consistent temperature for the product, along with a reduced operating cost.
“The outside of the freezer is cylindrical rather than a box, so that also contributes to the efficient flow of cryogen inside as products travel in a spiral path through the freezer,” he said. “We effectively doubled the heat-transfer rate compared to a standard spiral freezer, so the Cross-Flow spiral is much more efficient in its utilization of nitrogen. It can boost production about 10% or more in about the same floor space.”
With consistent temperatures, the product quality is more consistent, allowing for the best possible outcome for the final product, he said.
Best uses
According to DiMaggio, Linde spiral freezers are ideal for:
Baking: Par-baked goods, artisan breads, rolls, donuts, cookies (cookie dough), and pastries
Prepared foods: Pizzas and dough products, trayed foods and ready meals
While Linde tunnel freezers are ideal for:
Baking: Rolls, pies, cookie dough and other dough products
Prepared foods: Trayed foods, ready-to-eat meals, pizzas, stuffed pasta, specialty items, etc.
While each process will be different, he said every company that adopts cryogenic freezing will likely see a financial improvement that is “quite stark” compared with other methods of chilling.
In addition to cryogenically freezing the dough, DiMaggio said Linde’s Accu-Chill system can chill flour and other ingredients within a degree of the set point at the mixer, allowing for reduction of cycle times and improving mixer repeatability.
“Bakeries don’t want to just make a great batch of cookies, they want every batch to be great,” he said.
More demand moving forward
With bakers and manufacturers moving into new geographic areas and extending their distribution channels with new products, DiMaggio cryogenic freezing solutions are more important than ever.
“Cryogenic processing, in general, means a bakery can chill or freeze significantly more in the same space, and floor space is often at a premium in a flourishing operation,” he said. “In-line cryogenic freezers also can help reduce or eliminate the time required in holding freezers, which can reduce labor and other operating costs.”
In addition, cryogenic freezing can give brands better consistency across their products and make food safety easier, as the freezers give full access to all food contact areas for ease of cleaning.
