Refrigeration technology in day-to-day life: an essential tool for food quality and safety

Refrigeration, air conditioning and heat pump technology are part and parcel of our modern world. As their use becomes more widespread, the technology behind them is increasingly sophisticated and the respective specialists more and more experienced. At Chillventa 2024, experts will discuss the topical issues affecting the industry with like-minded professionals. The entire sector – industry, equipment manufacturers, retail, media, associations, organizations, research institutes, schools, colleges and universities – will be represented when refrigerants are among the key topics to come under the spotlight from 8 to 10 October. More than 40 forum presentations over the three days of the fair will be devoted to this issue and will also cover applications like breweries, the dairy industry and supermarkets.

This article provides insights into the importance of refrigeration technology for the food industry.

Initially used for cooling food and drinks, refrigeration technology has since evolved to encompass a wide range of applications. However, its most visible role in our day-to-day lives continues to be in the food sector, where it is an indispensable tool that ensures quality, freshness and cost efficiency in the manufacture, transport and storage of food products.

Without refrigeration, the manufacture of foodstuffs in commerce and industry would not be possible

The manufacture and transport of beer, margarine, chocolate or ice cream would be inconceivable without the use of refrigeration technology. When it comes to refrigeration, several segments play important roles in the food sector for producing food and creating the necessary cold chain. The following types of refrigeration are involved on the journey from manufacturer to household:

• Industrial refrigeration with applications in breweries, dairies, abattoirs, cold stores and deep-freeze storage facilities.
• Commercial refrigeration with applications in agriculture, fisheries, bakeries, butchers, restaurants, canteens, food wholesale and retail.
• Transport refrigeration and domestic refrigeration, which complete the necessary cold chain.

Thanks to refrigeration, we can take fresh food for granted

The entire field of food preservation by refrigeration is the clearest way to show the immediate benefits of this technology for the end user. Today, refrigeration technology (standard refrigeration and deep freezing) has now largely established itself as a preservation method for all kinds of food and thus helps conserve precious food sources. For example, meat, fish, vegetables, butter, eggs, milk etc. suffer the least impairment of quality if refrigeration and freezing are used as preservation methods.

In the food industry, refrigeration is often used for technological reasons, e.g. for wort cooling, chocolate crystallisation, sausage meat production, maturing processes (beer, wine, cheese), freeze-drying e.g. of coffee and tea extracts, manufacturing ice cream.

Specific products can meanwhile be preserved using freeze-drying methods in a way that maintains optimum quality and avoids the need for cold storage.

Industrial, commercial, transport and domestic refrigeration therefore offers many more areas of application than would appear at first sight.

• Cold treatment of foodstuffs (meat, charcuterie, ready meals, fish, dairy products like butter, quark, cheese, yoghurts etc.)
• Processing – storing – freezing (fruit, vegetables, potatoes, grains, baked goods, sweets, cocoa products, chocolate and confectionery, ice cream, drinks)
• Specifically in the food industry: Used for ice production, brewing beer, in cold storage units, for meat preservation, in fast-freeze equipment and freeze-drying.
• Specifically in commerce/retail and transport: Used for cold storage facilities, chiller cabinets, refrigerated trucks, drinks vending machines and dispensing systems.

Ice production continues to be a key area of refrigeration technology. Water ice and dry ice can store considerable amounts of cold due to high melting and sublimation heat, which allows cooling even where the use of refrigeration units is not possible or is uneconomic, e.g. for the transport cooling of foods or process cooling of special chemical processes.

An industry facing great challenges

Karl-Heinz Thielmann, President of the German Association of Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Contractors (VDKF) puts it in a nutshell: “Refrigeration and air conditioning systems generally do their job behind the scenes – but they are found everywhere and without them (almost) nothing would work here. Without refrigeration units, the manufacture, transport and storage of most foods would not be possible.”

Refrigeration systems are the backbone of our entire economy It is therefore even more alarming that manufacturers and operators of refrigeration and air conditioning systems are currently facing such major challenges. The new European F-gas regulation will in future drastically limit the use of the fluorinated refrigerants (F-gases) that have typically been used in refrigeration systems to date, due to their in part high global warming potential. The availability of these refrigerants is no longer assured in the event of a repair so many operators are having to invest heavily in replacing their systems prematurely. The shortage of F-gases will also result in substantial price increases and drive the existing illegal trade in these refrigerants. The alternative refrigerants (ammonia R717, propane R290, carbon dioxide R744) are either toxic, flammable, or have an asphyxiating effect, requiring much greater care when installing and operating the systems.

Karl-Heinz Thielmann: “The implementation of the F-gas Regulation is a formidable task for everyone involved. However, refrigeration and air conditioning businesses are ideally placed to provide their customers – the operators of refrigeration, AC and heat pump systems – with expert advice and support them on the journey to what is a much-altered refrigeration environment.”

The upshot: Chillventa offers guidance on the key issues affecting the sector’s future

Following their production, all foods are subject to physical, chemical and microbiological processes that cause both weight and quality losses and ultimately also lead to spoiling. Whether meat, dairy products, fruit or convenience foods, the right temperature prevents premature spoiling and ensures shelf life. Refrigeration technology not only ensures the right temperature but also avoids germs and bacteria. Moreover, process cooling performs a key role, as many products need to be cooled during the manufacturing stage.

Refrigeration systems are also indispensable for the storage and distribution of food, enabling continuous cold chains and ensuring that the product is fresh when it reaches the customer. Modern refrigeration technology concepts also contribute to energy efficiency. Efficient systems are not just sustainable but also reduce operating costs.