Oysters, as a delicious seafood product, are deeply loved by consumers. However, due to their perishability and the characteristics of seasonal supply, the preservation and freezing of oysters have become important challenges in the industry. Traditional freezing methods are somewhat difficult to meet the high-quality freezing requirements of oysters, and the emergence of liquid nitrogen quick-freezing machines has brought a new solution to oyster freezing.
I. Characteristics of Oysters
- High nutritional value: Oysters are rich in protein, various vitamins and minerals, especially rich in zinc, which plays an important role in human health.
- Perishability: Oysters contain a high level of moisture and protein, and are prone to spoilage and deterioration at room temperature, requiring timely freezing for preservation.
- Seasonal supply: The growth and fishing of oysters are seasonal, and in order to meet market demand, a large amount of frozen storage is required.
- Delicious taste: The meat of oysters is tender, delicious, and has a unique flavor.
II. Challenges and Complexities Faced by Oysters
- Difficulty in preservation: Due to the perishability of oysters, the difficulty in preservation is relatively large. During transportation and storage, strict control of temperature and humidity is required to prevent oysters from spoiling.
- High quality requirements: Consumers have high requirements for the quality of oysters, not only requiring a delicious taste, but also a complete appearance and no odor. Therefore, in the freezing process, it is necessary to maintain the quality of oysters as much as possible.
- Contradiction between seasonal supply and market demand: There is a certain contradiction between the seasonal supply of oysters and market demand. In the peak season, the output of oysters is large, and a large amount of frozen storage is required; in the off-season, the market demand still exists, but the supply of oysters is insufficient. Therefore, it is necessary to balance the seasonal supply and market demand through effective freezing technology.
- Environmental protection requirements: With the increase in people's awareness of environmental protection, the environmental protection requirements in the process of oyster farming and processing are also getting higher and higher. In the freezing process, it is necessary to choose environmentally friendly refrigerants to reduce the impact on the environment.
III. Disadvantages of Traditional Frozen Oysters
❖ Slow freezing speed: Traditional freezing methods usually use air freezing or low-temperature brine freezing, and the freezing speed is relatively slow. This will cause large ice crystals to form inside the oysters, damaging the cell structure and affecting the taste and quality of the oysters.
❖ Poor preservation effect: Due to the slow freezing speed, oysters are easily oxidized and contaminated by microorganisms during the freezing process, resulting in poor preservation effect. During storage, oysters are prone to spoilage, discoloration and other problems.
❖ Decline in quality: Traditional freezing methods will make the texture of oysters hard, the taste worse, and the loss of nutrients is serious. This not only reduces the quality of oysters, but also affects consumers' purchase intention.
❖ High energy consumption: Traditional freezing methods require a long freezing time and a high freezing temperature, resulting in high energy consumption. This not only increases the production cost, but also does not meet the requirements of energy conservation and environmental protection.
IV. Advantages of Freezing Oysters with Liquid Nitrogen Quick-Freezing Machines
❖ Rapid freezing: The liquid nitrogen quick-freezing machine uses the extremely low temperature of liquid nitrogen (-196°C) to freeze the oysters to the required temperature in a very short time. Rapid freezing can greatly reduce the formation of ice crystals, protect the cell structure of the oysters, and thus maintain the taste and quality of the oysters.
❖ High quality: The oysters frozen by liquid nitrogen are soft in texture, delicious in taste, and have little loss of nutrients. Compared with traditional freezing methods, liquid nitrogen quick-freezing machines can better maintain the quality of oysters and increase the added value of the product.
❖ Strong flexibility: Liquid nitrogen quick-freezing machines can be adjusted according to different oyster varieties and specifications to meet the needs of different customers. At the same time, liquid nitrogen quick-freezing machines can realize continuous production and improve production efficiency.
❖ Energy conservation and environmental protection: Liquid nitrogen is an environmentally friendly refrigerant that does not cause pollution to the environment. At the same time, the energy consumption of liquid nitrogen quick-freezing machines is low, which can save energy costs.
V. Cost-Benefit and Return on Investment Analysis
Cost analysis
● Equipment investment: The equipment investment of liquid nitrogen quick-freezing machines is relatively high, but their service life is long and the maintenance cost is low. Compared with traditional freezing equipment, liquid nitrogen quick-freezing machines can reduce the cost of equipment replacement and maintenance in the long-term use.
● Operating cost: The operating cost of liquid nitrogen quick-freezing machines is mainly the consumption of liquid nitrogen freezer. Although the price of liquid nitrogen is high, due to its fast freezing speed, the usage is relatively small. At the same time, the power consumption of liquid nitrogen freezer is also low, which can save energy costs.
● Labor cost: Liquid nitrogen quick-freezing machines can realize automatic operation, reducing manual operation and labor costs.
Benefit analysis
● Improve product quality: Liquid nitrogen quick-freezing machines can significantly improve the quality of oysters and increase the added value of the product. High-quality oyster products can obtain a higher price in the market, thereby improving the economic benefits of the enterprise.
● Extend the shelf life: The oysters frozen by liquid nitrogen have a long shelf life, which can reduce inventory losses and waste. At the same time, enterprises can carry out flexible production and sales according to market demand, improving market competitiveness.
● Improve production efficiency: The freezing speed of liquid nitrogen quick-freezing machines is fast, which can realize continuous production and improve production efficiency. This can shorten the production cycle, reduce production costs, and improve the profitability of the enterprise.
VI. Case of Freezing Oysters with SPEEDCRYO Liquid Nitrogen Quick-Freezing Machines
A seafood processing enterprise has always faced the problem of oyster freezing and preservation. Traditional freezing methods not only have a slow freezing speed, but also have a poor preservation effect, resulting in a decline in the quality of oysters and insufficient market competitiveness. In order to solve this problem, the enterprise introduced the liquid nitrogen quick-freezing machine of SPEEDCRYO Company for oyster freezing.
Take 1000kg/ h liquid nitrogen freezer as an example:
Dimensions: length 3.02 meters, width 2.19 meters, height 2.37 meters
Freezing time: 15~20 minutes/batch
Operating temperature range is 0℃ to -120℃
SPEEDCRYO optimized the freezing process according to the characteristics of oysters and the performance of the liquid nitrogen quick-freezing machine. By adjusting parameters such as the flow rate, temperature, and freezing time of liquid nitrogen, the oysters can be frozen under the best conditions to ensure the consistency and stability of the freezing effect. At the same time, the monitoring and management of the freezing process have also been strengthened to ensure the quality and safety of oysters.
VII. Application Effect Analysis
After being frozen by the liquid nitrogen freezer, oysters have significantly improved in terms of taste, nutritional content, and appearance. The texture of oysters is soft, the taste is delicious, and the loss of nutritional content is small, which has received unanimous praise from consumers. The market competitiveness of the enterprise has been significantly enhanced, and the product sales volume and price have increased significantly. At the same time, due to the high efficiency, energy saving, and automated production of the liquid nitrogen freezer, the production cost of the enterprise has also been effectively controlled.
The liquid nitrogen freezer has significant advantages and application value in oyster freezing. Through the characteristics of rapid freezing, good preservation effect, high quality, strong flexibility, and energy conservation and environmental protection, the liquid nitrogen freezer can effectively solve the problem of oyster freezing and preservation, and improve the economic benefits and market competitiveness of the enterprise. At the same time, through the analysis of cost-effectiveness and return on investment, it can be seen that the return on investment of the liquid nitrogen freezer is relatively high, and it is an advanced liquid nitrogen freezing technology worthy of promotion and application. In the future oyster farming and processing, the liquid nitrogen freezer will play an increasingly important role and make greater contributions to the development of the oyster industry.
Nov 01, 2024
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