Use of a mixture of carbon dioxide snow and liquid nitrogen in quick freezing applications
View Patent ↗Method for cooling a product, all or part of the cooling being carried out by contact of the product with a mixture of carbon dioxide snow (CO2) and liquid nitrogen.
1. A process for chilling a product, comprising contacting the product with a mixture of carbon dioxide snow and liquid nitrogen, wherein the mixture is a slurry and the carbon dioxide snow is suspended in the liquid nitrogen.
2. A process for chilling a product, comprising contacting the product with a mixture of carbon dioxide snow and liquid nitrogen, wherein a temperature of the mixture is about −190° C. to about −196° C.
3. A process for chilling a product, comprising contacting the product with a mixture of carbon dioxide snow and liquid nitrogen.
4. The process for chilling a product of claim 3 , further comprising the steps of:
producing the mixture of carbon dioxide snow and liquid nitrogen by mixing the carbon dioxide snow and liquid nitrogen in a tank with a variable-speed stirrer; and
controlling an amount of the carbon dioxide snow in the mixture by:
measuring a conductivity of the mixture; and
adjusting a rate of stirring of the stirrer based upon the measured conductivity.
5. The process for chilling a product of claim 3 , wherein the product is a food product.
6. The process for chilling a product of claim 3 , wherein the mixture has a carbon dioxide content of 5-80%.
7. The process for chilling a product of claim 3 , wherein the mixture has a carbon dioxide content of 15-30%.
8. The process for chilling a product of claim 3 , wherein the product is immersed in the mixture.
9. The process for chilling a product of claim 3 , wherein the product is a food product.
10. The process for chilling a product of claim 9 , wherein the food product is a beefburger.
11. The process for chilling a product of claim 3 , wherein the mixture is a paste having a carbon dioxide content of 40-60%.
12. The process for chilling a product of claim 11 , further comprising the steps of:
depositing the mixture onto a tray;
smoothing a surface of the deposited mixture;
pressing a mold into the deposited mixture to form a molded mixture; and
removing the mold from molded mixture.
13. The process for chilling a product of claim 12 , further comprising the step of freezing ice cream on the molded mixture in the shape of the mold.
14. The process for chilling a product of claim 3 , wherein the product is a food product and the food product is contacted with the mixture in a tunnel, churn, or immersion freezer.