Fruits are inarguably the hardest food products to store in the pantry. Their short shelf-life and the difficulties of ordering them in bulk are challenges that food establishments face regularly. The good news is a technological innovation called IQF packaging, or individually quick frozen or IQF, has made it possible to increase the sustainability of fruits and other food products such as vegetables and meats.
What is IQF or individually quick frozen?
IQF technology provided a way to extend the shelf-life of fruits, especially naturally seasonal produce. For instance, IQF strawberry suppliers deliver fresh and juicy strawberries from the best strawberry farms so that customers can serve fresh strawberry juices, desserts, and meals all year round. The best part is IQF packaging retains the freshness of fruits without turning them into ice crystals instead.
If you have a food business and only want to utilize the best ingredients to your clients, purchasing IQF fruits from trusted suppliers is a definite must.
Where did IQF technology come from?
A Canadian biologist discovered the Flash Freezing process, more commonly known as IQF. During a fishing trip, he was unexpectedly led to the icy water below 40 degrees. It is in the cold waters of Canada that he observed fishes freeze almost instantly once placed in the snow. When out of the water, a fish still shows movements, but once set in a cooler with ice, fishes would stop moving at a faster rate.
Flash-frozen produce is different from frozen products given every piece of fruit is frozen separately from each other instead of being found in bulk in the freezer. Flash-frozen food such as IQF strawberries is packaged in separate bags from other fruits. The most common fruits that are flash-frozen apart from berries are peaches, blueberries, vegetables, as well as shrimp and meat products.
What is the effect of IQF on fruits and other produce?
The impact of flash-freezing on the fish at low temperatures became the basis of IQF technology. The packaging is implemented with the food items stretched onto a conveyor belt, which then freezers every piece instantly to prevent the formation of harmful ice residue.
Flash-freezing creates smaller ice crystals, which prevents the formation of larger crystals that may result in damaged tissue fibres in the cell wall. The smaller the size of ice crystals guarantees that the fibres of the products do not quickly dry out its water content, which leads to spoilage.
In the case of strawberries and other fruits, buying from reputable IQF strawberry suppliers is the top choice for most food establishments. These items have longer shelf-life, which means lower demand for regular trips to the market.
How does flash-freezing works?
Flash-freezing implements freezing in less than two hours, eight hours shorter than traditional freezing. Put, flash-freezing guarantees faster, moving items at room temperature to quickly past the 31°F mark to successfully reduce ice crystal formation.
IQF food products are now becoming commonplace in food establishments and even in homes, too. If you wish to learn more about flash-freezing produce, you may visit our website today.
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