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Air Products and Chemicals Food industry experts discussed the benefits of nitrogen application of varieties of food processing

17 October 2009 3,460 views No Comment

Air Products Food Industry Specialist Discusses Benefits of Nitrogen for
Variety of Food Processing Applications

LEHIGH VALLEY, Pa., Oct. 16 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — Food processors who are
looking to improve product quality, lower costs and increase output may want
to consider adding nitrogen to their operation. Air Products (NYSE: APD) food
industry specialist Chris Johnson will discuss the benefits of using nitrogen
in a variety of food processing applications when he presents “Liquid Nitrogen
— A Beneficial Ingredient in the Food Industry” at the Prepared Foods R&D
Applications Seminar in Itasca, Ill., on Monday, October 19th.  Chris will
provide unique insight into the many creative uses of nitrogen, including:
    —  Freezing — Cryogenic freezing results in smaller weight losses from
        dehydration than mechanical freezing. Frozen food processors can
        preserve the quality of their food products with a cryogenic freezing
        system using liquid nitrogen (LIN). Due to its extremely cold
        temperature, LIN can freeze food within minutes instead of hours
        compared to traditional ammonia or Freon systems. This causes the
        formation of small ice crystals, which helps to ensure that product
        moisture and quality are maintained. An environmentally friendly
        freezing and chilling solution, LIN also can be used to remove heat
from
        a process to prevent microbial growth, decrease cycle times or
increase
        production throughput.

 

    —  Packaging — Gaseous nitrogen can be used in a wide range of food
        packaging processes, including Modified Atmosphere Packaging (MAP), to
        help preserve the quality of packaged food. Food products spoil
        differently, whether through microbial growth, discoloration,
oxidation
        or even moisture loss. By replacing the earth’s breathable atmosphere
in
        a package with a pure gas or a gas mixture, including nitrogen, the
        shelf life of products can be significantly extended, resulting in a
        product that looks good, smells good and tastes good far longer.

 

    —  Mixing, Coating and Grinding — In mixing applications, LIN is used to
        chill sauces and gravies to stop the cooking process and reduce
cooling
        cycle times.  In coating applications, LIN’s low temperature allows it
        to enrobe individually quick frozen (IQF) products in sauces while
        freezing to produce an even coating. During grinding, LIN can be used
to
        eliminate frictional grinding heat to improve throughput of mills
while
        also preventing the loss of flavor and aroma components — key
        contributors to organoleptic properties — in food additives,
        ingredients and functional foods.

 

Nitrogen can be used to process a wide variety of foods, including meat and
poultry, seafood, fruits and vegetables, pasta, dairy, baked goods and
prepared meals. Air Products provides a variety of equipment that, coupled
with LIN, can help optimize IQF and non-IQF food freezing, crust freezing,
chilling, coating, mixing, and forming. Regardless of size, nitrogen can be
supplied in a mode that matches the scale of any operation.
To listen to a podcast where Chris briefly discusses the benefits and
applications of nitrogen for food processing, visit
www.airproducts.com/videos/popup/audio_0910_food_freezing.htm.
Air Products has been serving the food processing industry for more than 40
years. The company’s complete offerings, marketed under Freshline® Solutions,
include high-purity gases and equipment, international supply capability, and
unmatched industry experience and technical support. For more information,
call 800-654-4567 or visit www.airproducts.com/food.
Air Products (NYSE: APD) serves customers in industrial, energy, technology
and healthcare markets worldwide with a unique portfolio of atmospheric gases,
process and specialty gases, performance materials, and equipment and
services.  Founded in 1940, Air Products has built leading positions in key
growth markets such as semiconductor materials, refinery hydrogen, home
healthcare services, natural gas liquefaction, and advanced coatings and
adhesives.  The company is recognized for its innovative culture, operational
excellence and commitment to safety and the environment.  Air Products had
fiscal 2008 revenues of $10.4 billion, operations in over 40 countries, and
21,000 employees around the globe.  For more information, visit
www.airproducts.com.
***NOTE: This release may contain forward-looking statements. Actual results
could vary materially, due to changes in current expectations.
SOURCE  Air Products

Media Inquiries, Debbie Bauer, +1-610-481-8061, bauerda@airproducts.com, or
Investor Inquiries, Nelson Squires, +1-610-481-7461, squirenj@airproducts.com,
both of Air Products

© Thomson Reuters 2009 All rights reserved

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