The document discusses the process of Individual Quick Freezing (IQF) for herbs, emphasizing its advantages in preserving taste, texture, and nutritional value while minimizing microbial growth. It details the steps involved in raw material preparation, washing, slicing, freezing, and quality checks, as well as the specifications for various herbs like chives, dill, and lemon grass. Key aspects include the freezing process, equipment used, and the importance of maintaining hygiene and safety standards throughout the operation.

1. Presented by
Pallavi B.S
B.Tech food science and technology
INDIVIDUAL QUICK
FREEZING OF HERBS
PROCESS

2.  FREEZING is the methods of food preservation,
 It allows preservation of taste, texture, and nutritional value in
foods.
 The freezing process is a combination of the beneficial effects
of low temperatures at which microorganisms cannot grow,
chemical reactions are reduced and cellular metabolic
reactions are delayed.
 For preservation of foods for longer periods.

3.  The way foods are frozen in the IQF method involves sending
the individual food items on sort of conveyor belt in to a blast-
freezer the item freeze very quickly. Because the food items
separate when they go in, they stay separate after they’ve been
frozen
 Products are individually frozen

4. .
The material to be
frozen first cools
down to the
temperature at
which
Nucleation starts
@ pre –cooling
Before ice can
form, a nucleus, is
required upon
which the crystal
can grow; the
process of
producing this is
defined as
Nucleation
@ freezing .
Once the first
crystal appears in
the
solution, a phase
change occurs
from
liquid to solid
with further
crystal
growth
HOW ???

5. Figure 3. Practical definition of the freezing process for foods (Mallet, 1993).

6.  To retard the microbial growth
 For long shelf life
 Good natural color, flavor and
nutritive value can be retained.
 Texture usually better than other
methods of food preservation.
 Foods can be frozen in less time than
they can be dried or canned.

7. SLOW FREEZING FAST FREEZING
 Large ice crystals formed, which
puncture cell walls.
 Cellular fluid released(high drip
loss)
 Results in shrunken appearance
of thawed food.
 High nutritional loss. E.g.- home
freezer.
 Small, numerous ice crystals
formed.
 Less mechanical destruction of
intact cells of the food.
 Low drip loss.
 No change to cell structure.
 More rapid prevention of
microbial growth.
 More rapid slowing down of
enzyme action.
 Speedy removal of heat from
food.
 Nutritional value maintained
E.g.- air blast freezer etc.

9.  Chives
 Dill
 Lemon grass
Dill
Chives
Lemon grass

10.  Line clearance is required:
 washing and sanitization of equipment, processing area with
food grade chemicals (sodium hypochlorite, per acetic acid)
 Clean the floor (with soap oil)
 Ensure the personnel hygiene (jewellery policy )
 Ensure Good Hygiene Practice, Good Manufacturing Practice

11.  Raw material are received and checked against raw material
specification provided by either customer or in-house as per
sampling plan
 Material is either accepted(A) , rejected(R) or accepted
under deviation (AUD)
NOTE:
a. Material is accepted if it conforms to the specification
b. Material is rejected if doesn’t meets specification
c. Material is accepted under deviation after discussion and
joint agreement between production and quality team.

12. Stored @ 10-15 °C

13. SN RAW MATERIAL PARAMETER SPECIFICATION
1 chives
Colour Green to dark green leaves lighter at base.
shape Stem length > 200-300mm, Long, cylindrical leaves
Foreign taints / smells 5%
Extraneous matter <2%
Dehydration
Max 5%Yellow coloured leaves
Spoiled leaves
2 Dill leaves
Colour Deep green color leaves, green stems.
Bunch size
Bunch length 250 - 350 mm;
Shape
Fine leaves, arranged along thin, round, slightly grooved
stems.
Foreign taints / smells Max 2 %
Diseased Max 5 %
Spoiled leaves
Max 5%Yellow leaves /withering
Sun burn
3 Lemon grass Colour Dark green to light green in colour with woodier stalks
Length 450-550 mm
Dehydration / Shrivel / Wrinkles Max 10%
Diseased nil

14. GRADING AND SORTING: The herbs are given for
cutting of roots and removal of stem part (dill),
extraneous matter, spoiled part, yellow leaves, infestation
and foreign particles.
NOTE: Where the unwanted materials are removed

15. CUTTING AND SORTING

16. Yellow leaves Thread/
Rubber bands
Extraneous matters Dehydrated
/Withered/
Shrinked
Spoiled

17. 1.WASHING
Received raw material are then transferred into clean plastic crates and
arranged properly
Washing is done to remove the dirt, dust adhered to the raw material and
to reduce the microbial load.
 Herbs (Dill, lemon grass, chives) are washed with max. 0.03% per
acetic acid as per food safety standards which helps in reducing the
microbial load
 The level of per acetic acid is verified by per acetic acid strips and
cross checked by titration method

18.  Tub washing
It’s a manual method of washing where the raw materials in
crates are dipped in tub which contain 100L of water with
incorporation of 200ml PAA.
 Changing of water once in hour or once after every 5 to 6
number of crates and top up of per acetic acid based on the
suggestion from quality executive
Tub
washing
Herbs
Dipping time 2-3 min
Per acetic acid level
Max 0.03% ( 300
ppm)

19. Plain water washing
Washing with per acetic acid
incorporated water 2-3 min

20.  Slicing is the process carrying out as per the customer /specific
requirement
 Slicing size :
After slicing, following parameters are checked:
Chives 5-8mm
Lemon grass 5-8mm
Dill leaves 5-8mm
Chives Long
Fines
Large
Extra large
Lemon grass
Dill leaves

21. Feeding to the slicer
Slices

22.  The slices are fed to the IQF directly
 The frozen slices from the IQF were collected and passed on
to the inspection conveyor belt, where removal of small
pieces, off color and foreign matters are done.
Freezing chamber temperature
Minus 36 degree
centigrade
Ammonia level 300-500 cm
Ammonia temperature
Minus 35-36 degree
centigrade
VFD blower speed 1& 2 Max. 25 Hz
VFD blower speed 3 , 4 &5 Max. 40 Hz

23. IQF chamber
Product from the IQF
Finished good

24.  From the conveyor slices were collected in white LDPE bag and packing
in HDPE bag and weighed on weighing scale as per the plan
 Sealing
 Following quality parameters are checked in FG:
 Product Temperature
 Name of the product
 Batch code
 Date of manufacturing
 Total quantity
 Bag number

25. Collection to the bag
Stitching
Final temperature monitoring
Weighing

26.  After packing the bag is passed trough the metal detector
 Before passing checked against the standard test pieces are
• Ferrous : 2mm
• Non ferrous : 2.5 mm
• Stainless steel : 3mm

27. After packing the product is hand over to freezer room and stored at -18
to -22°C till dispatch .
 Issue the frozen slice bag from freezer room (-18°C)as per FIFO
 Before the dispatch, following parameters are checked:
 Temperature of product
 Temperature of vehicle
 Product Condition
 Vehicle Condition

28.  Slicer
 IQF chamber
 Weighing balance
 Hand Stitching machine
 Metal detector

29.  Automatic Leafy / Root Vegetables Cutting Machine
 Variable Speed with Conveyor
 Multi Function Machine for Different Products
 Easy to Adjust size
 Stainless Steel Body
Specification
 Voltage: 220v
 Power: 1.1 KW
 Horsepower: 1.5 HP(corn vegetable 1 HP, leaf vegetable 0.5 HP)
 Production: leaf vegetable 400-600 kg/ hour
 Root vegetable 300-500 kg/ hour

30.  Ideal for Cut Fruits, Vegetable & herbs
 Food grade MOC gives high standard of hygiene
 Inbuilt VFD for variable belt speed which gives freedom in
handling variety of products
 Complete ease of defrost and high degree of sanitation
 Very quick freezing time ensure minimal water loss and high
product quality
IQF CHAMBER

31. TWO STAGE BELT FREEZER which
consists of two mesh conveyor belts in
series.
 The first belt initially precools.
 Second belt for freezing and sensible
cooling (-18 Deg C of below).
Generally operated at -32 to -36°C in
side the chamber with freezing times
from 5 to 7 min.

32.  vertical blowing principle.
 which blows the air through an evaporator generating an air
temperature of below -30°C. A quick freezing with a product
temperature down to -18°C is achieved.

33.  consists of bare tubes or coils over which the metal plates or
fins are fastened.
 The shape, size or spacing of the fins can be adapted to
provide best rate of heat transfer
 it will defrost itself on the off cycle when the temperature of
the
 coil is near 0°C. A finned coil should never be allowed to
frost because the accumulation
 of frost between the fins reduces the capacity

34. Ammonia is one of the oldest and most widely used refrigerant .
 It is colorless gas
 It is highly toxic
 Its boiling point at atmospheric pressure is -33.3ºC
and its melting point from solid is
-78ºC ammonia.
 It is extensively found in cold storage,
ware house plant, food freezing plant
etc.

35.  It is a poisonous gas if inhaled in large quantities.
 In lesser quantities, it is irritating to the, nose and throat. This
refrigerant is somewhat flammable when mixed with air in the
ratio of 16% to 25% of gas by volume, will form an explosive
mixture.
 The leaks of this refrigerant may quickly and easily detected by
the use of burning sulphur candle which in the presence of
ammonia forms white fumes of ammonium sulphite.
 This refrigerant attacks copper and bronze in the presence of a
little moisture but does not corrode iron or steel..

36.  designed to detect minute Metal contamination in
products and give accurate results,