Importance of Refrigeration in Food Preservation

The aim of all food preservation methods is to slow down processes that cause deterioration of quality and wholesomeness.

The aim of all food preservation methods is to slow down processes that cause deterioration of quality and wholesomeness.

Refrigeration applications are equipment that transfers heat from the product or enclosure (refrigerated cabinet or room) to the colder refrigerant.

This chapter is only concerned with the applications side, since refrigeration providers are the domain of mechanical engineers rather than food technologists.

The prime objective of food refrigeration is to preserve food quality and safety.

Food Product Quality factors include visual appearance, texture, taste, flavour and nutritional contents.

Freezing will kill a fraction of the microorganisms but this cannot be relied on as a sterilization method.

The design of refrigerated storage and transport equipment and systems must aim to maintain the required temperature, minimize temperature fluctuations, minimize radiation heat sources (warm surfaces) and, if there are unwrapped products, minimize moisture loss by maintaining high moisture and low air movement.