How to Blast Freeze Down Food Products with Magnavale

With 30 years of experience within the industry, Magnavale have developed a reputation for being a temperature-controlled services partner who understands the pressures of production, including the importance of maintaining product quality.

Magnavale operates state-of-the-art blast freezers supplied by industry-leading experts and utilises data validation trials on all new stock to ascertain optimum freeze down requirements in line with customer specifications and requirements.

This attention to detail by our highly trained technical team gives customers the confidence that their products will be handled precisely, professionally, and consistently to achieve the highest possible blast freezing standards.

Freezing down ambient or chilled products, must be carried out as safely as possible, and the temperatures achieved must meet the requirements of the product (usually -18°C) and consistent throughout the entire pallet. This requires an application of time and temperature combinations that prevent the growth of pathogens.

Labelling and Date Coding

Food products must be labelled with the following information, so they comply fully with the legislative requirements for labelling and traceability.

• Appropriate instructions for safe storage and use, including defrosting and cooking
• Durability date, also known as best before date – after this date, a food is considered unsafe and must not be sold, supplied or stored for future sale
• Date of freezing
• Amended name of food product

Traceability

Your traceability records should detail each batch of food for which the durability date has been modified. The details which need to be included are;

• Batch
• Former and new durability date
• Date the change was made
• Reason for the change
• Evidence to show how the new durability date mark has been validated as safe.

You must also make sure that the storage provider can reduce ambient or chilled products to the required temperature within the appropriate timeframe in order to limit any potential microbiological growth within the product. Any product with a ‘use by’ date must be frozen before said date.

The information given above is for guidance purposes only. Please contact us with your individual requirements so we can find the most suitable service(s) for your products.

If you’re interested in using our services, call 01246 854999 or visit www.magnavale.co.uk/contact/