A cooler including a compartment, a conduit including a first end portion configured to be in communication with the compartment and a second end portion, food product at a first product temperature entering the first end portion, a fluid discharge positioned substantially within the conduit between the first end portion and the second end portion, and a pressurized fluid source in communication with and for supplying fluid through the fluid discharge, the fluid being at a first fluid temperature less than the first product temperature, the pressurized fluid source being operable to propel the fluid through the fluid discharge to move the food product from the first end portion of the conduit toward the second end portion and to cool the food product to a temperature below the first product temperature.

A method efficiently changes the state of an object at low cost and in a short time, in which a state change control device changes the state of an object by bringing the object into contact with an ice slurry to cause a temperature change to the object. The device includes an ice slurry contact part that brings the object and the ice slurry into contact with each other at a predetermined relative speed and changes the temperature of the object, and an ice slurry supply part that supplies the ice slurry to the ice slurry contact part.

A poultry chiller includes a tank and an auger rotatably held in the tank. The auger includes a first auger section and a second auger section. The first auger section includes a first auger shaft and a first auger flight. The first auger flight includes a first helical portion on the first auger shaft and a first flight extension that extends away from the first helical portion. The second auger section includes a second auger shaft coupled to the first auger shaft and a second auger flight. The second auger flight includes a second helical portion on the second auger shaft and a second flight extension that extends away from the second helical portion. The chiller includes a hanger bearing assembly between the first and second auger sections and extending to an upper portion of the tank.

A poultry chiller includes a tank and an auger rotatably held in the tank. The auger includes a first auger section and a second auger section. The first auger section includes a first auger shaft and a first auger flight. The first auger flight includes a first helical portion on the first auger shaft and a first flight extension that extends away from the first helical portion. The second auger section includes a second auger shaft coupled to the first auger shaft and a second auger flight. The second auger flight includes a second helical portion on the second auger shaft and a second flight extension that extends away from the second helical portion. The chiller includes a hanger bearing assembly between the first and second auger sections and extending to an upper portion of the tank.

A packaged food product processing machine. The machine comprises a food consumer interface configured to receive a food consumer selection identifying an end state of a food product, a package cooling sub-system comprising a chilled fluid bath, a gripper component configured to agitate a package containing the food product in the chilled fluid bath and to sense a physical parameter of the food product, and a controller configured to command the gripper to control the rate of heat transfer from the package to the chilled fluid bath based on receiving an input identifying an end state selection from the food consumer interface and based on receiving an input containing a value of the physical parameter of the food product from the gripper component.

A freezing method using a gas as a refrigerant, comprising: step 1: using a colorless, tasteless, and non-toxic liquid gas or supercritical gas as a refrigerant for freezing; step 2: immersing a product to be frozen in the liquid gas or the supercritical gas until the center temperature of the product to be frozen reaches the temperature of a freezing stage; and step 4: taking out the product to be frozen and transferring it to a frozen storage low temperature environment for storing. A multi-stage freezing method using a gas as a refrigerant, comprising: step 1: dividing the freezing process for a product to be frozen into at least two freezing stages; step 2: sequentially performing freezing operations corresponding to each of the freezing stages on the product to be frozen; and step 3: transferring, after balancing the pressure of the product to be frozen with the atmospheric pressure, the product to be frozen to the frozen storage low temperature environment for storing.

Method and device for freezing food items in a gradual process, where the food items are first put through under-cooling before the food items are placed in a container or receptacle for freezing. The method and device are particularly suitable for freezing freshly slaughtered and bled fish for later processing.

A system for cooling and/or heating one or more articles such as a tumble chiller is disclosed. The system comprises a reservoir 20 configured to contain a cooling and/or heating liquid 22, and a belt conveyor system. The belt conveyor system is configured in a first mode of operation to cause one or more articles to be tumbled within the reservoir 20, and in a second mode of operation to cause the one or more articles to be removed from the reservoir 20.

A method and an apparatus for bringing fish to an under-cooled state by a sub-chilling process before processing, which prolongs rigor and allows processing of the fish in rigor providing better quality fish products.

A poultry chiller includes a tank and an auger rotatably held in the tank. The auger includes a first auger section and a second auger section. The first auger section includes a first auger shaft and a first auger flight. The first auger flight includes a first helical portion on the first auger shaft and a first flight extension that extends away from the first helical portion. The second auger section includes a second auger shaft coupled to the first auger shaft and a second auger flight. The second auger flight includes a second helical portion on the second auger shaft and a second flight extension that extends away from the second helical portion. The chiller includes a hanger bearing assembly between the first and second auger sections and extending to an upper portion of the tank.