A vacuum assembly for a refrigerator includes upper and lower sealing bodies, which are buckled to define a sealed cavity. A vacuum pump is provided in the cavity. A plurality of sheet members are arranged between the vacuum pump and a sealing box. A plurality of abutting parts are provided on the upper sealing body and abutting against tops of the sheet members. A step is provided at an end of the abutting part coming into contact with the sheet member. A top surface of the step abuts against the sheet member, and a side surface of the step abuts against the sheet member. A plurality of ribs are provided on the lower sealing body and spaced apart from the side walls to define limiting grooves. A plurality of guide grooves are provided on the lower sealing body and extend in a vertical direction to guide the sheet members.

A food preparation system includes a plate including a food preparation surface for placing food thereon. A cryogenerator is in thermal connection with the food preparation surface and can cool the food preparation surface to a temperature below 230 K.

Provided is an electrostatic field-generating cool container with refinements introduced to an electrode that forms an electrostatic field. The electrode that forms an electrostatic field is constituted of strip electrodes, each of which is in the form of a flat plate. The strip electrodes are housed in electrode-housing members. The electrode-housing members have electrical insulation properties and are each in the form of a rod to shield the strip electrodes from the interior of the accommodation chamber in the container. The electrode-housing members are arranged side by side.

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 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.

A method of making a microwavable frozen dumpling, whereby a raw dumpling containing a dough and one or more filling ingredients is boiled to form a boiled dumpling, and the boiled dumpling is frozen to form the microwavable frozen dumpling. The dough of the microwavable frozen dumpling includes a rice flour, an oil, and a modified cellulose polymer, and has a moisture content of at least 52.0 wt. %. A method of preparing a cooked dumpling is also provided, whereby the microwavable frozen dumpling is heated in a microwave oven without covering the microwavable frozen dumpling.

A food processing apparatus includes a reaction tank having an internal space for storing a reactant that is in a liquid state and that is used for food, a cooler that cools a reactant stored in the reaction tank, and a catalytic reactor disposed in the internal space. The catalytic reactor includes a reaction tube, a light source disposed in the interior of the reaction tube, and a heat insulator disposed between the reaction tube and the light source. The outer surface of the reaction tube is provided with a photocatalyst. The reaction tube allows light radiated from the light source to pass therethrough. The reaction tube has a first end, and the first end is closed so as to serve as a bottom surface of the reaction tube. The thermal conductivity of the heat insulator is lower than the thermal conductivity of the reaction tube.

A food processing device includes a reaction vessel, a stirrer including a stirring body, and catalyst reactors. Each catalyst reactor includes a reaction tube and a light source. The reaction tube has an outer surface on which a photocatalyst is provided, and transmits light. The catalyst reactors are arranged around a rotating shaft. The light source includes light emitters disposed at different positions. When viewed in an axial direction of the rotating shaft, the catalyst reactors have equal phases. The phase of each catalyst reactor is a phase of a reference direction of the reaction tube of the catalyst reactor with respect to a straight line connecting centers of the rotating shaft and the reaction tube. The reference direction of the reaction tube is a direction determined on the basis of a direction in which light is emitted from the light emitters and a positional relationship between the light emitters.

A method and apparatus is disclosed relating to food preparation in commercial kitchens and food processing plants. The disclosed extreme vacuum cooling (EVC) technology and apparatus can work in ultra low pressure conditions with adaptive pressure control to avoid potential liquid splash inside the vacuum chamber caused by un-controlled low pressure conditions. Clean air is added into the vacuum chamber to allow the chamber pressure to track a setpoint trajectory that may have ramp up periods in order to avoid liquid splash events. The apparatus enables the user to cool various kinds of foods quickly, save energy, and meet food safety regulations.

An electric field generating device includes an electrode and a voltage applying device that applies a voltage to the electrode. The electric field generating device is configured to generate an electric field in an indoor space of a container. The electric field generating device is provided with a supporting member that supports the electrode to be movable between a predetermined use position at which an electric field can be generated in the indoor space of the container and a predetermined housing position that differs from the use position, and a fixing member that fixes the electrode immovably at the use position.