Freeze concentration beats the heat

Abstract

This paper reports on freeze concentration (FC) which saves energy and money in packaging, shipping, and storing food products. FC---in contrast to existing heat-evaporation processes---retains volatile flavor and aroma compounds in food products so that no additives are required to restore the taste and smell of the original product. In recent tests on orange, grapefruit, and pineapple juices, reconstituted FC juices were found to be superior in taste to juices produced by evaporation and similar to the original pasteurized juices. The dairy industry, which is the largest user of energy for concentration in the food sector, is looking to FC for new products such as frozen concentrated milk as well as better use of the milk by-products of cheese production. The biggest potential for new FC applications is in those industries that consume large amounts of energy for separation processing, according to a 1987 report prepared for EPRI. In the food industry, this includes milk, vinegar, and beer producers. Potential applications also abound in the pulp and paper, pharmaceutical, chemical, and petroleum industries. FC separates substances via crystallization at substantial energy savings.