A delivery apparatus and method for delivering liquid cryogen to a chilling application includes a liquid cryogen feed tank; a liquid cryogen conduit in fluid communication between the feed tank and the chilling application; a weight measurement device for controlling the weight of liquid cryogen to be delivered to the chilling application through the conduit; a flow controller for controlling the speed of delivery of the liquid cryogen to the chilling application; wherein the chilling application uses the liquid cryogen to produce an exhaust gas; a device for measuring the temperature of the exhaust gas, the device in operative communication with the flow controller; wherein the flow controller is configured to vary the speed of delivery of liquid cryogen in response to the temperature of the exhaust gas.

A sealing system for food applications that provides a housing element with two or more bolts and respective holes for clamping. A flanged element is clamped to a frame of a machine, and a rubber seal placed along the base perimeter of the housing element. The seal includes a first portion of the rubber profile placed in the areas distant from the holes and a second portion of the rubber profile adjacent to the holes. The rubber profile of the second portion has a larger cross section than that of the first portion, such that the deformations of the rubber profile are made virtually uniform to prevent the formation of fractures, and therefore of bacteria traps, in the rubber.

This invention aims to decrease the microbial load in liquid food and, at the same time, to reduce the enzyme content in said liquid, in addition to being conducted under temperatures ranging from 6° C. to 50° C. The process works in the following way: The process starts with gasifying the liquid food with pure nitrogen or a nitrogen-carbon dioxide mixture, compressing the gasified liquid to pressure between 250 bar to 500 bar, holding the pressure for at least 300 seconds, then giving an instantaneous decompression. Nitrogen with a carbon content between 1% and 10% may be used to lower the liquids' enzyme content.

Provided herein is a degassing valve for a foodstuff product including a valve body, a one-way valve element positioned on the valve body, and a filter associated with said valve body wherein the filter is configured to facilitate the passage of a gas. The gas may be selected from the group consisting of carbon dioxide, oxygen, nitrogen, and methane. Additionally, the gas may be a longer molecular chain gas that comprises the aroma of the product. The filter of the valve body may include activated charcoal, an activated charcoal mixture or a combination thereof. In some embodiments, the foodstuff product comprises breadcrumbs, spices, or other flavorful dry foods, the aroma(s) of which can provide an important marketing benefit.

Disclosed are a disinfection and sterilization apparatus and method for a refrigerated container transportation system. The disinfection and sterilization apparatus comprises a to-be-treated waiting area, a disinfection and sterilization system, a treatment waiting area and a central control system, wherein a first prompter is arranged in the to-be-treated waiting area; the disinfection and sterilization system comprises a disinfection and sterilization bin, a vacuumizing device and an ozone supply device; a disinfection and sterilization bin inlet and a disinfection and sterilization bin outlet are respectively formed in the left side and the right side of the disinfection and sterilization bin; the top of the disinfection and sterilization bin is provided with a detaching and hanging device for detaching or hanging a refrigerated container and a transportation vehicle; a second prompter is arranged in the treatment waiting area; and the central control system is connected with the first prompter, the disinfection and sterilization bin inlet, the disinfection and sterilization bin outlet, the detaching and hanging device and the second prompter through data transmission lines. According to the disinfection and sterilization apparatus and method, a new coronavirus propagation path of cold-chain food in the refrigerated container can be effectively, and particularly, adverse effects of disinfection and sterilization apparatuses on parts such as engines and tires of transportation vehicles in the vacuumizing and ozone injection processes can be avoided.

A system and methodology for rehydrating perishable items (e.g., flowers, fresh food items, such as fruits, vegetables, other produce, and nuts) during storage and transportation thereof. The osmotic rehydration apparatus includes a pressurized chamber, a humidifier, an ozone generator, an electrostatic sprayer, a reservoir containing saline, and an air compressor. The perishable items are placed in the osmotic chamber under positive pressure. A film of saline solution is applied to the surface of the perishable items via an electrostatic sprayer. The saline/chlorine film on the perishable items is dried, and the osmotic chamber is saturated with ozone gas via an ozone generator. The osmotic chamber is then saturated with tiny pure water droplets via a humidifier or an electrostatic sprayer. The pressure within the chamber is raised to a pressure above atmospheric pressure. The osmotic chamber is then placed inside a cooler at a temperature slightly above freezing.

An acoustic apparatus and method for using a combination of low-frequency and high-frequency vibration of dried food, grain being an example, such that there are a large number of collisions among the individual grain particles for destroying microorganisms that reside on the surface or just below the surface of the grain, are described. Embodiments of the invention permit bulk and continuous processing of the food. It is expected that such collisions do not produce any chemical changes in the food, nor should it have any adverse effects on the taste thereof. Embodiments of the apparatus are applicable to destruction of airborne microorganisms.

A continuous freeze dryer having a hopper for supplying product to the inlet of the freeze-drying chamber via a sealed coupling with the inlet. A hopper valve allows the hopper to be sealed and evacuated with a product to be freeze-dried inside. An inlet valve of the freeze-drying chamber and a hopper valve may both be opened to provide a pathway between the hopper and the chamber whilst the hopper and chamber are maintained in an evacuated condition. The hopper may include an internal shell within an external shell with an evacuation port for evacuation a cavity between the shells. A hopper valve allows the supply of product to the freeze dryer via a hopper port. Product may be loaded into a hopper, coupled with the inlet of the freeze-drying chamber, evacuated, a hopper valve opened to supply product to the freeze-drying chamber, and the product conveyed through the freeze-drying chamber.

A method for treating liquid food products after direct heating comprises a first cooling of the liquid food product occurring on a floor of the infuser vessel up to an outlet opening. A second cooling of the liquid food product occurs in a tubular section connecting directly to the outlet opening. A third cooling of the liquid food product occurs in a housing cover of a pump housing of a centrifugal pump. At least one flushing operation of the pump housing and of an impeller via a rear impeller gap is performed, wherein the at least flushing operation occurs via a front impeller gap located between the housing cover and the impeller. Volume flows of the at least one flushing operation are greater than equalization flows within the pump housing.

To provide a food freezing device, a food freezing method, and a frozen food with which an eating quality as before quickly frozen can be obtained even when foods such as cooked rice foods and noodles are quickly frozen.

A food freezing device 400 of the present invention includes: a freezing tank 410 that stores an ice slurry S in a state of being maintained at equal to or less than −10° C.; a hanger 431 that holds an α-starch-containing frozen food F in the ice slurry S stored in the freezing tank 410; an ice slurry supply means (420, 450, 456, and 300) for supplying the ice slurry into the freezing tank 410; and a flow means (130) for causing the ice slurry to flow such that the ice slurry S collides with the frozen food F at equal to or greater than a predetermined relative speed. The frozen food F is a cooked rice food such as nigiri sushi or noodles such as udon noodles that contain a large amount of α-starch.