The frozen food industry is huge – projected to reach USD 376.95 billion by 2025. Food production is always a tricky business. With current safety standards and regulations, it is critical that everyone who works in frozen food processing plants understand and comply with guidelines that ensure both quality assurance and public health safety.
It’s also important to protect workers from cold temperatures and other hazards of working with frozen food production equipment. Here’s how you can keep your workers safe and deliver high-quality products.
Tip 1: Cleaning and Sanitizing Guidelines for Frozen Food Manufacturers
Any business involved in food production must adhere to strict cleaning and sanitizing guidelines. All surfaces, tools, utensils, and frozen food processing equipment used in manufacturing should be regularly cleaned and sanitized.
The Code of Federal Regulations has detailed guidelines to avoid food contamination in frozen food production areas. Standard cleaning and sanitizing procedures include:
- Wipe surfaces clear of debris.
- Rinse surfaces with warm water.
- Wash surfaces with hot, soapy water.
- Rinse thoroughly with clean water.
- Inspect surfaces for any signs of contamination or residual cleaning materials.
- Spray with sanitizing or disinfecting chemicals approved for use in food production.
- Rinse if necessary and air dry.
Cleaning procedures should be documented by date, time, and the worker who completed the task to ensure proper food safety. Additionally, workers should wear gloves, hairnets, face coverings, and aprons when processing frozen foods.
Tip 2: Processing Frozen Foods
Few foods are frozen without some preparation beforehand. Vegetables, for example, are usually blanched to preserve their bright color and fresh taste. At the same time, fruits will likely be dipped in ascorbic acid or a sugar solution to prevent browning. Meats and seafood may be fully cooked or have a heat treatment to kill surface microorganisms and maintain texture when thawed.
Frozen food development includes recipes and procedures designed to freeze well and retain their taste and texture after cooking. Properly preparing food before freezing helps ensure that consumers get consistent, high-quality results.
Tip 3: Freezing Methods: Blast Chiller vs. Freezer
There are two traditional methods of freezing that are used the most. The oldest method, convection freezing, was invented by Birdseye in the 20s. It involves simply storing food on shelves or belts in a freezer.
Air-blast freezers, or blast chillers, are a faster method. As the name suggests, this involves blasting foods with super cold air or moving them along a bed or through a tunnel cooled to -30°F for fast freezing.
For best results, many frozen food manufacturing companies use both methods: fast freezing with a blast chiller and freezer storage after initial freezing.
The newest freezing method in frozen food production, isochoric freezing, is gaining popularity. Experts say that changing to this method saves energy and produces higher-quality frozen foods. Isochoric freezing immerses food items in liquid (such as water) and does not completely freeze the food item. It requires higher temperatures to maintain, which uses far less energy. The result is a fresher, juicier taste without freezer burn or texture changes.
Tip 4. Maintaining Frozen Foods Throughout the Cold Chain
The cold chain begins with the frozen food production line facility and extends to the consumers’ freezer, including every step in between. Delivering quality products depends on maintaining consistent cleanliness and temperature throughout the manufacturing, shipping, and delivery chain process.
Time and temperature tolerance (TTF) affect frozen foods’ taste, appearance, and texture. The goal is to maintain the quality and safety of the food, especially items that require special handling, such as dairy products, meats, seafood, vegetables, fruits, and prepared meals. Most food products are safe at a 0°F temperature or below for six months or less. Storage temperatures above 0°F led to quality loss, and colder storage extends the storage life considerably.
24/7 temperature monitoring is essential to maintain the integrity of your products. Freezer failures can happen anytime and cause the loss of your product – and your money. Maintaining optimal temperature until the moment of delivery helps keep your reputation intact, along with your product.
Cold chain guidelines for the frozen food industry include:
- Separate cooked and uncooked frozen products in storage and retail coolers.
- Conduct frequent checks on frozen food product temperatures to ensure consistency. Always maintain frozen food at 0°F temperature or below during storage and distribution.
- Follow all freezer manufacturers’ recommended capacity and loading instructions. Do not overload freezers or display cases.
- During distribution, ensure frozen products are moved without stopping or delays and transferred between temperature-controlled environments to prevent thawing and refreezing.
Tip 5: Labeling Requirements for Frozen Processed Foods
Food packaging labeling requirements for commercially processed frozen foods vary by country. In the US, the FDA sets label guidelines. In general, food labels must include the following:
- Name of food
- Ingredients list
- Net weight/volume
- Nutritional information
- Allergen warning statement
- Expiration or “best if used by” date
- Manufacturer’s contact information (name and address)
- Product storage instructions (including temperature guidelines)
Tip 6: Ensure the Quality of the Finished Product
Evaluations should be conducted at each stage of the frozen food production process to ensure the quality of frozen food products. Before foods are processed, assess the raw materials for contamination or health risks. After processing, check for shelf life stability, pH levels, water activity, and microbial contamination.
It’s important to note that freezing does not destroy microorganisms in frozen foods. Blanching vegetables destroys most microorganisms, and some die from freezing, but enough may survive to spoil the product or infect consumers when the product is thawed. Frozen foods have been linked to outbreaks of Hepatitis A, listeria, e.coli, and salmonella. Avoiding disastrous food recalls often depends on how well your production facilities manage products in the early stages.
Tip 7: Train Frozen Food Factory Employees
Train and educate workers in the correct handling and storage of frozen foods, and update training as necessary. In any food manufacturing facility, personal hygiene is critical. Make sure your employees follow strict protocols:
- Open sores or cuts must be covered with bandages, finger cots, or other coverings under disposable gloves.
- Employees with infectious or contagious diseases may not work in the food production area.
- All workers should wear hair and beard coverings while working.
- Hands should be thoroughly washed before work, between tasks, after breaks, and after contact with any non-sanitized surface.
- If disposable gloves are used, proper procedures should be followed.
- Food, chewing gum, or tobacco in any form is not allowed in areas where food products are stored, handled, or prepared.
Americans depend on the frozen food industry for meals, sides, and snacks. Frozen foods that reduce spoilage waste are a practical and appealing solution for customers looking for ways to save money. Frozen food development has also ramped up, producing tastier, healthier foods to appeal to consumer tastes and budgets. This means industry growth is expected to continue, and safe frozen food production is even more critical as demand rises.
