COLDROOM - Improving food temperature control in chilled and frozen storage rooms

Abstract:

This document provides an abstract and a brief summary of the project titled "COLDROOM - Improving food temperature control in chilled and frozen storage rooms".

There are over 7,000 food manufacturers in the UK. At least 50% of these manufacturers operate refrigerated storage areas. In addition, all food retailers and most catering establishments also operate cold stores.

One, if not the most important, change in food refrigeration in the last 10-15 years has been the realisation of the interdependence of the different refrigeration operations and the concept of the 'cold chain'. It is essential, if food quality and safety are to be maximised, to attain:

1. The optimal rate of temperature reduction in primary chilling and freezing.
2. Maintenance of the correct temperature throughout storage, processing, distribution and retailing.

The main project objectives were to improve the safety, quality and economics of chilled and frozen storage by closer control of food temperature. This was achieved by developing a user-friendly model to predict food temperatures in chilled and frozen storage rooms under real operating conditions. The model allows:

1. Cold room operators, contractors, and manufacturers to specify and design cold rooms to keep food at optimum temperatures under actual working conditions.
2. Users to rapidly predict the effect of operating conditions and loading patterns on performance and identify how they can avoid unacceptable food temperatures.

The model was verified against data for a chilled cold room operating at temperatures of between 1 and 10°C. The verification trials included simulated cold room breakdown and extended door openings during loading. The overall mean difference between the predicted and experimental centre and surface food temperatures were found to be less than 0.7°C.

Publication Year:

2003

Publisher:

Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs

DOI:

No DOI minted

Author(s):

Evans, J.