The Seville-based technology company Irconfort is devoted to the design, development, manufacture and marketing of the heat generating equipment used in far infrared systems. Its factory in the municipality of Gelves is shipping new machines which are revolutionising food dehydration in agro-food industries across half the world, since unlike traditional hot air systems, "far infrared manages to penetrate the product, allowing dehydration to take place from the inside out, thus preserving all the aromas and properties of the food, which can then be packaged and marketed directly, without the need to even sweeten it," explains Eugenio Sánchez Távora, the company's manager.
Moreover, "it is a low energy consumption technology that does not heat the air, and which can be used in multiple voltages and connected to renewable sources." In fact, "we are the only manufacturers worldwide that offer these systems for both direct and alternating current, which allows their operation also in mobile elements in installations connected to wind, photovoltaic or solar thermal systems and, of course, to the usual power grid."
The dehydration of foods (fruits, vegetables, meats and fish) is one of the latest lines of development started by Irconfort, with which "we are obtaining great success. We are exporting our machines to many South American countries, including Chile, a market with a great tradition in the production of dehydrated food, as well as being a large exporter of prunes," stresses the manager.
Far infrared is a form of thermal energy "that allows you to focus it wherever you want and which has numerous fields of applicability, with the agricultural sector being our main customer," highlights Sánchez Távora.
Another of the lines in which the company is growing is in the sale of equipment that uses far infrared for the drying of grains (like cereals, cacao, coffee and quinoa) instead of the more traditional hot air or outdoor drying. The method results in "significant savings in both time and energy, in addition to the fact that far infrared helps eliminate the bacteria that may affect stored productions, which are not exposed to UVA rays, thus slowing down their deterioration."
Large cocoa and coffee producers in countries such as Peru and Ecuador are already using the grain drying machines manufactured in the province of Seville, and Irconfort also has many customers in markets like Colombia and Italy.
The Sevillian firm also adapts its internationally patented technology for small producers, and continues to develop new equipment based on the use of far infrared. One of the latest orders they have received involves the manufacture of machines for black garlic; a product that is increasingly demanded worldwide.
Source: abc.es
