Research boost for ready-meals

The company, which is part of the Linde group, will work with a number of food companies and the University of Lincoln with the aim of combining two food manufacturing processes; a new cryogenic rapid cooler and steam infusion technology.

Manufacturers are under increasing pressure to ensure that their products meet consumer demands expectations for higher quality, variety and nutritional content.

Together with our project partners - we look forward to integrating the cooler with OAL’s rapid steam infusion to produce a commercial, just-in-time production system

Cedric Hanson, business development manager

Inefficient heating and cooling processes used in the soups, sauces and ready meals sector create additional challenges for the food industry as it seeks to meet these demands.

The Advanced Cooking and Cooling Technology project (ACCT) team is being funded by Innovate UK. It intends to develop an integrated system that combines the rapid cooking of food using patented steam infusion Vaction technology developed by food engineering company Olympus Automation (OAL) with rapid cooling using liquid nitrogen.

It is hoped the rapid cooking and cooling system could reduce processing time and improve food quality within the expanding market for ready meals, soups and other sauce-based food products, BOC said.

The team will also seek a better scientific understanding of the effects of rapid cooling using liquid nitrogen on vegetables, fruits and meats in order to maximise nutritional values. 

It will also investigate ways to improve productivity and reduce waste by increasing product shelf life and trimming production, cleaning and changeover times.

Key partners in the project are BOC, the University of Lincoln’s National Centre for Food Manufacturing (NCFM), OAL and frozen ready meal manufacturer Iceland Manufacturing.

“Our cryogenic rapid cooler is the latest in line of innovations that BOC is introducing into the UK and - together with our project partners - we look forward to integrating the cooler with OAL’s rapid steam infusion to produce a commercial, just-in-time production system,” said Cedric Hanson, BOC’s business development manager of Application Technology.

BOC also announced plans last week to build its first UK carbon dioxide (CO2) purification plant, following an agreement with food company Cargill for the provision of raw CO2 feedstock.

The waste CO2 is a by-product of Cargill’s wheat fermentation process, which can be used to produce potable alcohol for products such as perfumes, mouthwash and beverages.

The plant will be built on Cargill’s Trafford Park site in Greater Manchester and will capture and purify waste CO2 and convert it into food and beverage grade CO2.