The IQF sweet corn market has been maturing slowly but surely for the past few years, showing promising growth in the global IQF food market. Traders more often than not prefer high-quality IQF sweet corn, as the added value leads to better prices.
According to Yuqiao Xie-Hultin, Marketing Coordinator at OctoFrost, the added value of IQF sweet corn ensures traders are willing to pay more: “Globally, traders have confirmed their willingness to pay between 5 to 30 per cent more for IQF products of premium quality. Now the question is how IQF products have gained so much popularity in general. Produce that is frozen using IQF technology are known to maintain their natural color, appearance and more importantly its nutrients and flavor. It goes without saying that IQF products have a longer shelf life and are pretty easy to store. If one invests in the right IQF technology, producers’ success in processing sweet corn is a sure thing.”
OctoFrost provides the whole sweet corn processing line as follows:
Blanching
“Blanching is a stage that is crucial as it deactivates the enzymatical activities that cause the loss of nutrients and texture in sweet corn. However, there is a risk over over-blanching if one does not have an exact control of the blanching temperature. This is why in the OctoFrost™ IF Blancher the control of temperature is precise and accurate within a margin of half a degree Celsius. This form of control ensures that over-blanching of the corn kernels is efficiently avoided, which in turn keeps the produce firm and crispy. Thanks to the steam injection into the blanching water of the OctoFrost IF Blancher the energy efficiency is increased significantly. A higher capacity is the result.” Xie-Hultin explains.
Chilling
“Right after the blanching it is vital that chilling takes place immediately. If chilling is done quickly, a lower core temperature of the sweet corn is ensured, before feeding into the freezer. This makes for high yields and the best product quality,” Xie-Hultin continues. “The OctoFrost™ IF Chiller preserves the product’s moisture, natural color and nutrients by gently letting the ice-cold water fall over the product, immediately stopping the blanching process.”
IQF Freezing
“For the final step, the OctoFrost™ IQF tunnel Freezer preserves the natural shape of the sweet corn and ensures good separation of the product, thanks to the gentle fluidization with the optimal bedplates' movement. Product dehydration is minimized thanks to the quick crust freezing in the IQF Freezer, which is also increasing yield and productivity,” Xie-Hultin says. “For consumers convenience is always the ideal goal, and they will continuously search for it. IQF sweet corn meets this demand, but the demand for IQF products in general is increasing. So it is crucial to use efficient technology which meets this consumer need and maximizes profitability for the producers.”
For more information:
Yuqiao Xie-Hultin
OctoFrost
Email: Sales@octofrost.com
www.OctoFrost.com