In this era of globalisation, we no longer depend entirely on indigenous food products. What we eat, therefore, traverse great distances. Safeguarding it against contamination and disease is the onus of everybody involved in the process, at all stages, argues Ghaleb Abusaa.

The nature of modern life dictates that heavily populated cities and communities are dependent upon remote farms and rural communities that are usually far away from their locations, for their food supplies.

Refrigerated fleets with proper packing and packaging are absolutely necessary in order to transport such food items across long distances, while keeping them fresh and in good condition. It is, therefore, important to have cold storage facilities at both ends – the point of origin and at the consumers’ end – to meet the huge demand for seasonal food.

Fortunately, thanks to the availability of excellent air, sea and land cargo systems, not to mention a satellite view of the globe, it is now possible and easy to supply food stuff to far off communities that can afford the cost. Thus, most communities can now enjoy food they like, from anywhere in the world, all round the year, in as fresh and tender a condition as it was, in the country of origin or production.

Also, all kinds of meat (red meat, poultry and sea food) are available in fresh, refrigerated and frozen conditions, using refrigeration systems under tight and precise health regulations, to keep them edible and free from disease.

Following are a few examples:

Fruits and vegetables:

Nutrition in fruits and vegetables is subject to loss during their growth period and after maturity, even before they are harvested. But such losses are compensated for by the mother tree or plant. However, after being harvested, the fruit stays alive and the seed starts to feed on it, causing the fruit to ferment and deteriorate. There are other causes for the decay, too, such as the effect of ethylene at increased rates, due to stress, temperature and the presence of oxygen.

Reducing the ethylene level of a fruit or vegetable reduces the rate of fermentation, the temperature and the oxygen level, thus decreasing the germ or seed activity. This, in turn, keeps the rate of decay in check.

Also, as water contributes to a major part of the weight of fruits and vegetables, it is necessary to reduce their weight loss caused by evaporation of water. The evaporation rate increases under high temperature and dry air conditions.

It is evident that we need to reduce the temperature and oxygen content and raise the humidity level as much as possible, when we transport food stuff. This is exactly what a cold storage does.

GUIDELINES FOR STORAGE OF FRUITS AND VEGETABLES

Store each type under the following recommended conditions:

» Do not store green-coloured vegetables with coloured fruits, as coloured fruits emit more ethylene and cause fermentation quickly.

» Do not ripen bananas except when they are ready to be sold and eaten in a few days.

» Chill fruits and vegetables as quickly as possible after harvesting. They lose most of their shelf-life and quality in the first few hours after harvesting, if not cooled quickly. (This is cold pre/fast cooling.)

Reduce the oxygen content in the room as quickly as possible for the long-term storage of some fruits, like grapes and apples, and keep the rooms gas-tight. This process is called Ultra-low Oxygen (ULO) atmosphere.

Inject nitrogen into the rooms instead of oxygen.

FREEZING

Freezing does not kill germs but forces them to sleep. Once the temperature rises, the germs become active, leading to the process of deterioration. This process is evident in nature, in cold countries, when the land turns green once winter is over, and spring starts. This is because all the germs and seeds in the ground start growing. Similarly, freezing meat, poultry and fish keeps them edible. Once they are defrosted, it is not advisable to freeze them again. They have to be cooked and eaten immediately. This is necessary, not only to preserve their taste but also to keep them edible. Thus, quick “fast” freezing is a must.

PASTEURISING, FUMIGATION AND STERILISATION

These three terms have a similar connotation but are usually applied to different products.

As stated earlier, germs cannot be killed by dropping the temperature but can only be forced to sleep. To kill them, we must raise the temperature to a very high degree. This is called pasteurisation. Once the milk arrives at the dairy plant, it is pasteurised to kill the germs by raising the temperature to nearly boiling temperatures (below boiling). This is because it starts deteriorating after milking, if not cooled immediately, as bacteria grow very quickly under warm conditions. Thus, cooling the milk starts at milking parlours with CIP arrangements. The milk is, then, transported in cool containers to processing factories.

Fumigation is a term used to kill germs and seeds either by steam (high temperature) or by eliminating oxygen by N2 or CO2, thus killing the germs by inducing the absence of oxygen. This is used mainly in dates and potato cold stores.

Steriliation serves a similar purpose, but the process is used for packing and in containers that store/transport products, such as canned food and long-life dairy products. Such containers have to fulfill other conditions, too. For example, the material should not react with the products or deteriorate under varying storage temperatures.

CHICKEN EGGS

Chicken and eggs are two of the most widely used food products but the least understood by consumers. It is easy for consumers to examine the egg externally, to know the age and how good the egg is. But how good it had been at the time of storing and how it was handled till its arrival is a vast and interesting subject, and merits a separate article.

MILESTONES OF THE TRIP FROM THE SOURCE TO YOUR TABLE

It is important to spare a thought to the journey a food product makes from its source to the consumers, and the effect the journey has on the quality and shelf-life of the product. It is equally important to follow certain recommendations in order to preserve its quality and increase its shelf-life.

Regardless of whether it is fruit, vegetable, meat, eggs, canned food or a dairy product, the food we eat goes through a series of milestone events that need to be supervised professionally and correctly, to ensure that it arrives at our table in as good a condition as it is possible. Misuse of the product or inefficiency in handling it at any of these milestones along the journey, affect its quality. Following are the important milestones:

» If it is a plant product, the manner in which it was grown at the point of origin; whether the product was from a plant fed by organic or non-organic fertiliser; the quality of soil in which the plant was grown and the water used

» If it is livestock for meat, eggs and the like, the manner in which the livestock was raised

» The way in which a plant product was harvested, collected, treated, cooled or frozen and packed at the source

» The way it has been transported and the environments and temperatures which it was subjected to during transportation

» Sample cold store with dock shelters hugging the refrigerated truck

» The way in which it was handled at the wholesale storage facility before it was distributed to the outlets

» The way it was transported and distributed to the outlets

» The way in which the outlets stored it and the shops handled and displayed it at their facilities in preparation for the consumers to buy it

» Finally, how we handle it at our homes before we serve it, whether fresh or cooked

Educating and raising awareness of the public about the importance of such subjects is the key to cleaner and more hygienic food. The media could play an important role in this regard.

HEALTH AND SAFETY

Although quality and taste play a big role in the food industry, from the perspective of the consumers, health and safety concerns are the two most important factors that govern the sector. The onus of ensuring them rests on the shoulders of the concerned authorities. By the nature of things, in the normal course, this is an area that the general public hardly gets a peek into.

Each country has its own set of regulations in place in order to safeguard its people against possible danger and diseases that food can cause, especially considering the fact that food crosses borders across countries every minute. It is, therefore, the responsibility of the consumers and those involved in the food chain business, to follow guidelines and instructions in this regard very strictly and meticulously. Raising awareness of everyone involved is also equally necessary.

The writer is the CEO of en3 Solutions (The Three Factors Company), Jordan. He can be contacted at g.abusaa@en3solutions.com.

A study was conducted to find out the efficiency and effectiveness of Airfree’s patented Thermodynamic Sterilising System (TSS) on fruit, vegetables and perishables. The result showed that the system had a proven advantage over ordinary cooling units.

The Thermodynamic Sterilising System patented by Airfree works on basic principles of physics. Hot air rises through the sterilising system. This creates a convection pull to bring new air into the system. This process is assisted further by airflow in commercial chiller units. Once inside, the TSS technology incinerates 100% of micro-organisms at an internal temperature of 200° Centigrade. The sterilised air is then cooled and returned to the room, without increasing the overall ambient temperature.

Although the internal temperature is 200°C, thanks to cooling and the small scale on which the system operates, two units emit the equivalent kilojoules of heat as one person breathing, and the system does not increase the temperature in controlled facilities.

CASE STUDY

The study was conducted at Shokri Hassan Trading Company (SHTC), Dubai, from October 4 to 28, 2010.

Aim: The aim of the test was two-fold:

A) To formally assess the viability of installing the Thermodynamic Sterilising System throughout all SHTC chilled storage areas by measuring increase in shelf-life of Airfree in a fully functional commercial chiller.

B) Investigating the system’s potential to allow for an increase in chiller temperature settings and, thus, reducing cooling and utility bills.

THE TEST

Duration: 25 days

Subject: Peaches, Class II Grade AA-AAA

Origin: Turkey

Test chillers: Four – Berry Room (a special storage area where perishable and expensive produce is stored), installed with Airfree, and three chillers without Airfree installation

Chiller sizes: Berry Room: 118.485m³ (5.492m x 4.727m x Height 4.564m)

Chiller 1: 297.1m³ (13.815m x 4.712m x Height 4.564m)

Chiller 2: 162.89m³ (9.812m x 6.505m x Height 2.552m)

Chiller 3: 159.05m³ (9.807m x 6.335m x Height 2.552m)

Variables recorded:

1) Fruit temperature: degree Centigrade (measured using Raytemp 4 Laser thermometer)

2) Chiller temperature setting: degree Centigrade (recorded from the SHTC chiller computers)

3) Chiller ambient temperature: degree Centigrade (recorded from the SHTC chiller computers)

4) Chiller wall temperature: degree Centigrade (measured using Raytemp 4 laser thermometer)

Method:

Trays of peaches from SHTC’s regular stocks were used, selected from the same batch at random and placed in four test chillers on October 4, 2010. The Berry Room was Airfree-installed and Chillers 1, 2 and 3 were not installed with Airfree. Photographs and the aforementioned variables were taken initially every second day and, then, daily up until October 28, 2010.

Purpose:

SHTC had its Berry Room installed with 3 x Airfree WM50+ units in stainless steel (wall-mounted) in April 2010, and three chillers were without Airfree. A significant difference in terms of reduced spoilage was noted by the management, following the purchase and installation of Airfree units in an area where the most perishable and expensive produce is stored, namely, the Berry Room. A further study was requested to assess the viability of further investment and extended installation of the system.

CONCLUSIONS

Shelf life: The peaches in the Berry Room, the chiller with Airfree installed, remained in a saleable condition for the entire 25-day period, with no signs of mould or decomposition. Peaches in all three control chillers were affected by mould and were decomposed.

In Chiller 2, mould was visible by Day 6.

In Chiller 3, mould was visible by Day 8

In Chiller 1, mould was visible by Day 9.

It could be concluded that Airfree extended the shelf-life of fruit between 16 and 19 days in the 25-day study. The implication of this was that it extended the shelf-life of the peaches by more than four times in Chiller 2, more than three times in Chiller 3, and more than 2.5 times in Chiller 1, averaging more than three times increase in shelf-life.

Savings through reduced cooling and increased chiller temperatures:

It was noted that the average temperatures, as recorded in Chiller 1, were colder than the Berry Room and, thus, the peaches should have lasted longer. Airfree achieved shelf-life extension in warmer conditions in the Berry Room than in Chiller 1. Despite running at an average ambient chiller temperature of 2.65°C higher, the shelf-life was over 2.5 times longer. This figure is reconfirmed by the fruit temperature statistics – the peaches in the Berry Room were on an average 2.63°C higher than in Chiller 1.

It can, therefore, be concluded that using the Thermodynamic Sterilising System, a company storing fruit and vegetables can increase temperature settings in their chillers by at least 2.5°Centigrade and, still, achieve shelf-life extension of at least 2.5 times.

Peaches from Chillers 1, 2 and 3 were discarded on Day 25 at the end of the study. Peaches from the Berry Room were retained for the purposes of further research into the full shelf- life extension possible, using the system. These peaches were inadvertently discarded on Day 32. But it was noted that they were still mould-free when pictures were taken earlier that day. Therefore, it can be concluded further that the Thermodynamic Sterilising System extended the shelf-life produce by between 23 and 26 days, indicating more than 3.5 to five times of extended shelf-life over produce stored without the system.

A head of a Dubai-based company talks of refrigeration challenges he encountered at his facility and their impact on business.

Strike 1

At the time of my joining the company, two years ago, we were producing frozen snacks. The personnel involved were not aware you had to blast-freeze the snacks and were using a normal freezer to do the job. This was, of course, counterproductive. Let’s say, you have to produce 500 spring rolls. To freeze it to -18C, it will take 48 hours if you were to use a normal freezer.

So in effect, it took two days from the time the customer placed the order, to deliver the snacks. The turnaround was very slow and, needless to say, was unacceptable. We lost business, because customers were not willing to wait that long.

It was not just a case of a poor turnaround time. Owing to the slowness of the freezing process, water particles in the spring rolls formed into ice, which caused the snacks to lose their taste. A further issue was that the slowness of the process meant more freezing space taken.

In the case of the 500 spring rolls, a blast freezer would have helped accomplish the job in two to three hours. Also, it would have helped retain the texture and taste of the snacks and the nutrients in them.

We eventually did buy a blast freezer – that was about a year ago – and installed it. Today, I am happy to say, we have a quick turnaround and are able to stock up larger quantities and sell more. And the quality of the products has improved.

Strike 2

Another issue I confronted after joining the company was a heat build-up in the space between the ceiling and the roof, especially during the hot summer months. The people who had designed the facility had somehow contrived to install the condensing units of all the walk-in freezers and walk-in chillers in the space above the ceiling and below the roof. This type of arrangement allowed for no air venting, which caused all the freezers and chillers to heat up and break down, especially during the hot summer months. Naturally, this in turn, caused us to lose business, because we were not able to deliver the products on time. We eventually resolved the problem by relocating the condensing units to outside the facility. This had an immediate effect on the freezers and the chillers in the sense that the temperatures started to improve.

Strike 3

At the time of my joining, I was confronted with yet another legacy issue – in the form of four freezer vehicles. They were of inferior make, and the company had bought them new at a price of Dh 55,000 each. The engine capacity of the vehicles was so small you couldn’t keep them running for long. Also, they couldn’t travel at a satisfactory speed, and they broke down almost once every month.

I guess it will suffice to say that we suffered owing to high temperatures, because the vehicles, with their small engine capacity, could be only good as chillers and not as freezers. I say this, because to be a freezer, you need a high-capacity engine. Our temperatures were so bad customers had to return the products we delivered.

We eventually sold the four vehicles off and bought two new 2.7-litre pickups, and the freezer units were retrofitted by a leading refrigeration company. Today, I am a happy man. The vehicles are powerful and, to date, have not been the cause for a single complaint. And I am able to deliver my products to the satisfaction of my customers.

I learnt many facts from the three episodes. You would if you lost Dh 200,000 in business, as we did. Firstly, the region could do with better expertise. Of course, there are good consultants in the region, but, keeping in mind that you always get what you pay for, you have to be careful in identifying the good from the bad, which are the type that are intent on only making money and walking away. Secondly, it is important for food companies to increase their knowledge base on refrigeration – that way, they will be able to demand better service from consultants, equipment suppliers, contractors and maintenance companies. We lost business, because we were victims of poor installation and maintenance services. From a food-safety point of view, we were delivering products at higher temperatures, which were being rejected by clients. So the moral of the story is buy high-quality products and go through proper refrigeration experts to accomplish your goals.

(As told to B Surendar)

 The writer has been associated with the food industry in the Middle East for 20 years.

Tripp Lite Middle East

Tripp Lite Middle East has announced the launch of SRXCOOL12K, which has been designed for supplemental area cooling, emergency cooling and off-hour cooling applications.

Trip Lite claims the air conditioner is compact and portable, and is ideal for use in networks, data centres and other heat-sensitive environments.

See the following product features and advantages:

• 12,000 BTU of cooling power
• Zero-maintenance design – no floor drain needed and no water collection tank to empty
• Programmable with built-in timer for unattended start-up and shutdown
• Ducted vent directs cold air where most needed, standard louvered vent cools a room
• Convenient control with top panel controls and displays
• 1.8 m input cord with IEC C14 plug

Johnson Controls

Central Plant Optimisation 10 (CPO 10)
Central Plant Optimisation 30 (CPO 30)

Depending upon climate, region and equipment configurations, a central chilled water plant can consume more than 30% of the power required to run a building. Johnson Controls has announced a new software technology to help reduce energy consumption in central chilled water plants in buildings by up to 60%.

The new system-level automation software, Central Plant Optimisation 10 (CPO 10) and Central Plant Optimisation 30 (CPO 30), can achieve persistent optimum performance and energy savings in central plants in new constructions and retrofit. The technology is available for virtually all types of buildings, including residential, commercial, mixed-use, hospitality, airports, hospitals and educational facilities.

Both CPO 10 and CPO 30 feature innovative control technologies that are designed to provide system performance improvements based on real-time building loads, and is designed to be integrated with modern building automation systems and HVAC equipment.

Magdy Mekky, vice president and managing director, Johnson Controls Middle East, said: “Building owners and operators have the biggest opportunity to realise savings where the facility consumes the most energy – the central chilled water plant. A holistic approach to plant design and operations is necessary to drive efficiencies that minimise operating costs, reduce environmental impact and lead to a better return on investment.”

See the following product features and advantages:

Central Plant Optimisation 10 (CPO 10)

It maximises a facility’s HVAC system and equipment performance by selecting the most efficient combination of pumps, chillers and cooling towers needed to meet building cooling load

It can achieve up to 15% in energy savings over a standard automation approach in an otherwise identical plant

Powered by the Johnson Controls’ Metasys building management system (BAS), it leverages documented logic and standard programs to control the sequencing of pumps, isolation valves and chilled water plant equipment, while maintaining the timing delays for safe and stable operation

The Metasys ready access portal provides customised and easy-to-access plant operating information via standard browsers and Apple iPhone and iPod touch platforms to monitor plant operation, while Metasys Energy Essentials reporting enables visibility of energy use, including equipment runtime, starts and stops, energy consumption and energy cost details, weather details and daily load profiles, helping to monitor plant performance over time

Central Plant Optimisation 30 (CPO 30)

Powered by Optimum HVAC, the system incorporates a software application from Optimum Energy, which offers networked software solutions designed for energy efficiency commercial HVAC systems

A patented relational control technology, it enables variable speed central plants holistically based on the power relationships between each piece of equipment and real-time cooling load conditions

When combined with CPO 30’s built-in measurement, verification and management services, it is proven to provide stable, reliable and persistent energy reductions of 20% to 60% in existing plants, when coupled with plant upgrades

The software application is platform-neutral and provides seamless integration with any BAS, including Metasys

Every 30 seconds, the software automatically gathers current operating and building load data from the BAS. The application then applies relational control algorithms to calculate optimal system operation, and directs control sequences back to the BAS for execution

Graphs and charts make it easy to track and correct system faults as they occur.

Tecumseh Products, India

Tecumseh Products, India, has announced the launch of AE2 compressor, which it says, is designed and developed to fulfill its Green Products Initiative, and is suitable for the global commercial refrigeration market.

The AE2 compressor was launched in India at ACREX 2011 in New Delhi in February, immediately after its launch at the AHR show in January in the United States.

While the new AE2 compressor will support traditional HFC refrigerants – R134a and R404A, it is also optimised for hydrocarbon refrigerants – R290 (propane) and R600a (isobutene). This is important as hydrocarbon refrigerants are expected to be authorised for use in commercial and residential applications in the United States in the near future, due to approval of the Significant New Alternatives Policy (SNAP) by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

The manufacturer points out that hydrocarbon refrigerants have been adopted by all major household refrigerator manufacturers in Europe, and many European commercial refrigeration equipment manufacturers have initiated the move to hydrocarbons. In this light, it claims that India will benefit from its initiatives in this direction.

See the following product features and advantages:

• It is 25% more efficient than its predecessor, and offers best-in-class efficiency for compressors its size – approaching 10.7 EER
• It covers a 20% greater capacity range than the competition
• Its smaller envelope size provides capacities that have been traditionally served by large compressors, crucial for customers who have compact applications with limited space availability
• It assists heat transfer by using up to 25% less oil than the first generation AE
• It out-performs its predecessor in vibration testing, thus reducing the potential for vibration-induced metal fatigue