Linde LLC is supporting two growing areas for the global seafood industry – prepared seafood and aquaculture – with technologies to improve quality and productivity. These two proprietary systems will be featured at Seafood Expo North America in Boston, March 19 through March 21, booth #2074: 

The CRYOLINE CW (CRYOWAVE) IQF freezer uses a patented rolling-wave action on the conveyor belt to keep seafood items separate as they are individually quick frozen (IQF). The hygienically-designed cryogenic freezer can be equipped with either liquid nitrogen (N2) or carbon dioxide (CO₂) and is ideal for small items that require high quality with high efficiency. This includes shrimp, scallops, mussels and clams, as well as stuffed seafood pasta and chunk lobster, crab or white fish. The CRYOWAVE technology provides lower operating costs than flighted freezers and eliminates CO₂ snow carryover into the exiting IQF seafood.  

A new SOLVOX oxygenation system for aquaculture offers a simple drop-in solution for seawater species grown in fish tanks and sea cages that promotes fish health throughout the growth cycle. SOLVOX systems are ideal for high-value export species such as salmon, sea bass, king fish, prawns and shrimp, as well as tilapia and other species farmed primarily for the local market.

“Flavor is King” in Seafood

“Flavor is king in the seafood industry, and the quality and consistency of the freezing process is critical to seafood brands expanding regionally, nationally or internationally,” says Erik Fihlman, program manager, seafood and prepared foods, Linde LLC. “Our inline cryogenic freezers apply a rapid freeze that helps protect the natural texture and flavor of the seafood, better and longer than conventional freezing methods.”

Linde technologies can also boost the production and quality of chilling and packaging operations. The new ACCU-CHILL automated box chilling system, for example, rapidly chills fresh seafood directly in packing boxes – on demand – with a controlled amount of CO₂ snow. The system avoids the cost and labor issues of storing and handling bagged dry ice. Linde also offers the new ACCU-CHILL SC sauce chilling system for glazes, sauces and soups. This in-line system can chill thousands of pounds of hot pumpable liquid foods in minutes, and in less than 10 square feet of floorspace.

Additionally, Linde offers MAPAX gases for seafood in modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) which can typically extend the shelf life of fresh fish to about 14 days and cooked seafood to about a month. Plus, patented inline leak-detection technology from Linde can test the integrity of MAP packages in real time.

Linde LLC supports the Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) and the advancement of food safety. Linde has a Food Safety Management System in place for all bulk carbon dioxide (CO₂) plants and air separation facilities supplying the food & beverage industry in North America. In June 2012, Linde became the first supplier to certify all of its CO₂ plants to a benchmarked GFSI scheme, FSSC 22000 (Food Safety System Certification).

The Linde food team performs on-site assessments and works with fish farms and seafood processors to develop optimal solutions. For more information visit Linde (www.lindefood.com) at Seafood Expo booth #2074, or call: 800-755-9277.