System Design and Experimental Results of Progressive Freeze Concentration System

ABSTRACT The progressive freeze concentration process involves lowering the temperature of liquid food below freezing point of water in a controlled manner in order to avoid reaching the eutectic temperature at which all the components of the liquid food solidifies at once. If it reaches the eutectic point of the liquid food, separation is very difficult. The aim is to obtain a very pure ice, i.e. only water, without retaining any of the solids in it. The purpose of removing this ice is to obtain a concentrated liquid product. Concentration by freezing is the system that comes closest to the ideal objective of separating water from the liquid food product without affecting the other components as its nutrition value, aroma and taste. This technique is very suitable for the concentration of thermo sensitive liquid foods. Concentration of liquid food obtained in this method is higher as compare to other methods. PFC is very flexible and is applicable to various liquid foods. This is applicable not only to food industry but also various other industries like nuclear, chemical, ammunition and refrigeration systems etc.