Application
Food industry.
Heat treatment in the food industry
There are many heat treatments in in the food industry.
Discover our know-how:
INFRARED
Baking tunnels and gratin tunnels :
Whether they are electric or gas powered, infrared tunnels are as diverse and specific as the applications they are used for. The treatment is called browning for creams, gratin for prepared dishes, melting for cheeses (pizza, croque-monsieur, etc.), crusting for sandwich breads, braising or roasting for meats, caramelization or glazing for sweets and pastries, etc.
Infrared browning tunnels transmit energy for the Maillard reaction without contact. They are unaffected by working conditions and can correct the convective part of any heat tunnel through the reaction of their emitters. The energy is delivered to the right place at the right time. The energy created by the infrared emitters allows for significant gains in productivity and quality. This also avoid unnecessary heating of the products as a whole, making them an ideal solution for browning cold products before freezing, for example.
Finally, the Maillard reaction also addresses the issue of contamination before packaging, making browning a win-win.
Infrared pasteurization tunnels :
Infrared pasteurization tunnels transmit energy without contact. They can treat prepared dishes, food, cakes, cookies, with or without packaging, at the interior or on the surface, depending on the type of contamination that occurs during the customer process.
They are unaffected by working conditions and can correct the convective part of any heat tunnel through the reaction of their emitters. The energy is delivered to the right place at the right time. This is also called a cold oven. This avoids unnecessary heating of the products as a whole, making them an ideal solution for browning cold products.
Infrared cooking tunnels :
Infrared curing tunnels are suitable for thin products such as pancakes, blinis, cookies, etc. They allow for a faster and more regular heating phase than conventional ovens. This reduces the time and energy required during temperature maintenance.
Like our other IR tunnels, they are unaffected by working conditions and can correct the convective part of any heat tunnel through the reaction of their emitters. The energy is delivered to the right place at the right time.
In some cases, the tunnels can be simple infrared panels located in an open space (radiant carousel cooking).
Drying ovens :
Infrared drying ovens transmit useful energy without contact and on the surface of food products. They can be used to make crusts (cheese, bread without crust), dry coatings (cheese, meat) or reduce the amount of surface water without altering the inside of the product.
They are unaffected by working conditions and can correct the convective part of any heat tunnel through the reaction of their emitters, which makes for very stable ovens. The energy is delivered to the right place at the right time. This is also called a cold oven. This avoids unnecessary heating of the products as a whole, making them an ideal solution for browning cold products.
Infrared drying ovens can be designed as conventional ovens or as simple infrared panels in an open process.
Roasting / Toasting :
Roasting and toasting are not only for coffee beans, but also all treatments that change the taste of products through roasting. This includes most cereals, seeds and dried fruits as well as wood chips, argan, pasta, rice and many other food products.
Infrared roasting and toasting ovens transmit useful energy without contact and on the surface of food products. In order to obtain more or less consistent toasting, the infrared panels can be combined with vibrating conveyors or mixers specifically designed for these applications.
Toasting ovens are unaffected by working conditions and can correct the convective part of any heat tunnel through the reaction of their emitters, which makes for very stable ovens. The energy is delivered to the right place at the right time. This avoids unnecessary heating of the products as a whole, making them an ideal solution for browning cold products.
Infrared roasting ovens can be designed as conventional ovens or as simple infrared panels in an open process.
Electron beams
Food decontamination :
While infrared stabilizes or pasteurizes food products, electron beam (EB) treatment reduces the number of microorganisms they contain.
The ability of electron beams to effectively destroy microorganisms has been known for decades and is widely used in the United States but very little in Europe (authorized by the US Food and Drug Administration and the US Department of Agriculture). However, the WHO has now authorized it for human consumption after extensive scientific research.
Decontamination differs from sterilization in that it does not necessarily destroy all germs. Irradiation effectively destroys some microorganisms and many bacteria.
Currently, seven countries in the European Union allow irradiation for food: Belgium, the Czech Republic, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, and the United Kingdom.
In France, the following foods can be treated with ionization: strawberries, onions, shallots, cereal flakes and sprouts, dried vegetables and fruits, rice flour, meat and poultry offal, frozen frog legs, frozen shrimp, dried spices and herbs. In the UK, you can irradiate fish.
Ebeam decontamination has the advantage of not being thermal, which avoids the consequences of high temperatures.
Decontamination of food films :
Decontaminating packaging before adding products is essential. What good are all the drastic precautions taken on production lines if packaging is polluted? The Ebeam can be used at the end of the production lines for food film manufacturers or for packaging at food plants.
Electron beams have been known for effectively destroying microorganisms for decades and allows for significant log reduction.
The challenge in developing in-line packaging decontamination solutions is adapting the Ebeam treatment process to the variety of applications in the sector (film decontamination, preforms or formed packaging), at the required level of hygiene.
Decontamination of films, preforms or bottles: all three solutions are now available, each with its own treatment process.
Ebeam decontamination uses no water or chemicals and has a very low environmental impact. It is also faster, which reduces the size of the decontamination modules.
The process does not generate toxic effluents that must be treated before being returned to the natural environment. There are both economic and environmental advantages for equipment, consumable purchases and waste management.
Improving the properties of packaging and polymers :
EBeam treatment is also used in industry to modify the characteristics of polymer products:
EBeam polymer crosslinking improves many properties:
- Thermal: resistance to temperature, aging, etc.
- Mechanical: tensile strength, abrasion resistance, pressure resistance, creep resistance, etc.
- Chemical: resistance to cracking, etc.
Films, foams and shrink sleeves with shape memory are often EBeam treated.
But EBeam treatment can also be used to achieve the opposite effect, i.e. degrading materials.
The electrons degrade polymers, break down chains and grind the material into a fine powder. This is also applicable to wood fibers that are then reused in biodegradable detergents or dietary substitutes.
Before
Possibility of laboratory and on-site testing.
After
Our equipment is designed for easier maintenance:
– Emitters with increased lifetime due to materials choice and design of our ovens.
– Infrared panels in removable racks.
– Qualitative customer service.
