Importance Of Freeze Fried Foods

Freeze during is the modern method of preserving foods for quite a long period normally 10 to 15 years. This method involves the freezing the foods to almost zero temperatures and removal of the moisture in a vacuum chamber last covering it inside an airtight container. Frozen foods have the advantage of maintaining its taste and color and can withstand normal temperatures during transportation. The foods also require minimal preparation.

This method was developed in the advent of second World War as a means of preserving the blood plasma for injuries and blood transfusion during the battlefield accidents and health injuries without requiring cooling. This method has been incorporated into preparation of consumer food after the end of the war and coffee was among the fist foods to be prepared, Other foods followed suit in the preservation like chicken, eggs, vegetables, meat and food flavorings.

The removal of 98% of the moisture content in the food makes it light and convenient in handling and shipping hence this minimizes cost of shipping. The food requires no refrigeration or storage hence can withstand the normal conditions.

The food also relatively free from any contamination since the drying process does not allow the formation of yeast and infectious bacteria to survive hence contaminating is inevitable. The process also maintains the test, color, texture and flavor with no alteration of these properties is done during the process. Preparation for consumption of this food is also simple since it requires only addition of water. Freeze dried chicken is one of the best popular foods made up of 100% wholesome poultry having a very pleasant taste and have been inspected and approved by USDA as fit for human and meets all the regulatory standards.

Freeze Dried Chicken Process

The Manufacturing Process

Freeze-drying machinery and equipments must be available and approved by USDA plus all the employees. The process plant must include the storage and receiving area, deep freezing vessels, cooking area, packing for chicken.

Testing and Preparation

The plant must all the necessary tools and testing machined to check on the quality of the raw materials for any contamination and purity.

Freezing

The precooked chicken pieces are evenly spread out in a flat metal trays for cooling and are subjected to temperatures of -40F (-40 Celsius) in a trolley for sometime in cold rooms operation until they are removed for drying.

Drying

frozen chicken is taken to the vacuum drying chambers. This a large drying chamber composed of 20-30 drying chambers which remove the solid moisture from the chicken by sublimation method. This is a change of the solid state to gaseous state without the liquid phase while raising the temperature to 38 Celsius by direct conduction.

Sizing and Blending

Dried chicken are taken away from the drying chamber and tasted for purity and moisture content and sixing and finally blending of two or more varieties to meet the customer tastes and preferences.

Packing

Packing in airtight containers is essential after blending to prevent the food from absorbing moisture in the atmosphrere. The material of the containers rangers from plastic to metallic can.

Posted By Carrie R. Butler