Demand grows for mixer chilling with new hygienically-designed injectors
Advanced hygienic design is driving the success of new injectors for mixer chilling in the poultry industry according to food industry leaders at Linde LLC, which introduced the patented LIXSHOOTER® injectors in the U.S. just over a year ago.
“Ground poultry is higher in moisture content than red meat and this poses a challenge: Mixer injector nozzles tend to get blocked more often with high-moisture mixes, resulting in inconsistent chilling and potentially longer mix times,” explains Erik Fihlman, program manager, food industry, Linde LLC. “The new LIXSHOOTER® bottom injectors (BI) are specifically designed to keep the nozzle area clear whether you’re chilling blended poultry or any other wet product mix.”
The injectors are strategically positioned on the bottom of the mixer, blender or kettle to rapidly chill products with either liquid nitrogen (LIN) or carbon dioxide (CO2). They make a positive seal against the inside surface of the mixer to significantly minimize areas that could harbor moisture and food particles. This advanced hygienic design goes beyond traditional injector nozzle technology and also reduces the time and labor required for maintenance and sanitation.
Linde customers include poultry processors that produce patties and nuggets for fast food franchises and national restaurant chains.
“Hygienic design must go hand in hand with performance and high productivity,” Fihlman said. “We are installing LIXSHOOTER injectors at major poultry plants and at multiple locations throughout the U.S.”
In addition, a dual-cryogen option makes it possible to switch between LIN and CO2 in a matter of minutes. “This gives processors more flexibility in production and greater reliability in cryogen supply,” Fihlman said.
The Linde food team customizes every BI system to maximize productivity and minimize operating costs. The company offers decades of experience in BI mixer chilling technology and was the first to introduce LIN BI chilling systems to the U.S. meat industry.
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 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 in-plant assessments and works with food processors to develop optimal solutions.
Safety training is part of every installation. For more information visit Linde (www.lindefood.com), or call: 800-755-9277.
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