A Game Changer for the Food Processing Industry
Vancouver, BC – FPS Food Process Solutions has just launched its newest product, the Spiral Immersion System (SIS). The Spiral Immersion System (SIS) is a revolutionary new patented food processing platform for chilling, freezing, pasteurizing, cooking and chemically treating food products. The SIS is a spiral conveyor in a tank of liquid, usually water or brine, that is faster, cheaper, produces a better-quality food product, produces a safer food product and takes up less space than air chilling.
The science behind the SIS is that heat is transferred 25 times faster in water than in air and water is easier to move around than air. A 2 or 3 hp water pump can move the same amount of heat as over 100 hp of fans moving air. The result is that in the SIS the surface of food freezes 25 times faster and the core freezes 20-70% faster, the footprint is 50% smaller, it uses 80% less energy for the same throughput and the SIS requires 30% less refrigeration tonnage.
The SIS’s robust fully welded SS316 stainless steel enclosure contains close to 1000 ft of Intralox’s self-stacking modular plastic belt in 2 spiral stacks. 95% of the spiral belting is submerged in a sterile saline and SS316 stainless steel environment in temperatures ranging from -50°C to +100°C.
“We at FPS are thrilled to bring this product to market and know that it will be a game changer for the food processing industry,” states Steve Kelley, FPS Director of Spiral Immersion Systems. “We’ve known for a long time that liquid is more efficient than air but there just hasn’t been the equipment to take advantage of those more efficient methods until FPS developed the SIS,” said David Bogle, Intralox Global R&D Director – Spiral Platforms.
With a state of the art computerized control system and a unique patented design, the SIS keeps the food product, even buoyant products, in position on the belt to facilitate automated processing and packaging.
Quicker freezing results in better product quality and safety. The faster the product freezes, the smaller the crystals which result in less cellular disruption and the products retain better color, texture, flavor and nutrition. The shortened freezing time also means that food travels through the danger zone between 4 and 60 degrees Celsius faster, resulting in less bacteria in the food. Less bacteria means a safer food product and a longer shelf life.
The SIS can process anything that is bagged or comes in a natural casing, rind, skin, or shell. This includes: vacuum sealed meat, poultry and fish; skin sealed food products; bagged soups and sauces; and lobster, crab and other shellfish. “Essentially, if your product can be immersed in water, then you should be using the SIS,” concludes Kelley.