Food Precooling

• Artichokes, Brussels Sprouts, Onions (Green), Asparagus, Carrots (Bunched),

Okra, Beans (Lima), Corn (Sweet), Parsley, Beans (Snap), Endive, Bean
Sprouts, Raspberries, Blackberries, Lettuce, Spinach, Broccoli, Mushrooms,
Strawberries, Watercress.
Significance of Precooling
• Products are perishable in nature and more so at high ambient temperature.

• Products are seasonal but demand is continuous.

• Food quality becomes essential and consumers display an increased awareness for it.

• It is now the international standard for quality of the products to be exported.

The high ambient temperature causes the following effects.

• Higher metabolic activity results in product ripening or ageing.

• Increased moisture loss results in product drying and shriveling.

• Increased growth of microorganisms causes decay of the products

• The field heat

• The rate of respiration (heat generated by the product per unit mass or unit
volume)

• The rate of ripening

• The loss of moisture (shriveling and wilting)

• The production of ethylene (ripening gas generated by the product)

• The spread of decay.

Food Precooling Systems
• Room cooling

• Forced air cooling or wet pressure

• Hydrocooling

• Vacuum cooling

• Hydrovac cooling

• Package icing or contact icing

2. Forced Air Cooling
In practice, food products are precooled in a forced-air cooling system:

• with air circulated in cold rooms

• in rail cars or highway vans using special portable cooling equipment which cools the

product load before it is transported

• with air forced through the voids of bulk products moving through a cooling tunnel on

continuous conveyors or air-cooled refrigerated rail cars or highway vans

• on continuous conveyors in wind tunnels

• by the forced-air method of passing air through the containers by pressure differential
A forced air precooling room with
one air unit per precooling station 1. Tunnel cooling
2. Venting for boxes and trays
3. Box/tray and stacking design (straight stacking)
4. Box/tray and stacking design (cross stacking)
5. Serpentine cooling

Stacking, (a) Straight and (b) cross

Serpentine cooling configuration
Technical details of forced air cooling systems

• Fan control

• Evaporator units

• Air channel dimensions

• Temperature measurements

• Temperature management

• High humidity systems

Food Precooling Systems
• Room cooling

• Forced air cooling or wet pressure

• Hydrocooling

• Vacuum cooling

• Hydrovac cooling

• Package icing or contact icing

 Hydroaircooling

Mushrooms, Cauliflowers, White And Red Cabbage, Brussels Sprouts, Lettuce, Celery, Leeks, Cucumbers,
Gherkins, Strawberries, Spinach, Chicory, Chicory Roots, Carrots, Tomatoes, Potatoes, Cheese, Etc.
Advantages
• Simplicity.

• Less cost.

• Shorter precooling time as produce is cooled rapidly through direct contact with cold humid air.

• Minimum moisture loss because high relative humidity cold air passes over the fresh produce.

• Produce retains original color, taste, flavor and quality, referring to higher quality produce.

• No defrosting operation is required, because the ice chiller provides a constant 0°C heat sink

(never below 0°C).

• Smaller installed cooling capacity for precooling with lower energy consumption (as much as 70%

smaller).