Introduction about the fast cooling systems
The fast cooling system: a major step to improve milk products’ quality
For over 45 years, Clauger, a specialist in industrial refrigeration and process HVAC has been an international leader in the cooling of fresh milk products. The French company assists industrial milk producers worldwide and shares its expertise.
Within the yogurt’s manufacturing process, the products’ fast cooling is the step that follows the incubation phase and which precedes the products’ +4°C storage phase.
Often unknown, this step is essential due to its impact on the product’s quality, its homogeneity and its lifetime.
An integrated fast cooling process will allow for the yogurt’s cooling from 45°C to 4°C, within 4 to 6 hours.
Industrial, with home made taste & longer shelf life
The benefits associated with a fast cooling system are easily measurable and regard the intrinsic quality of the dairy products.
The control of the yogurt’s acidity
The fast cooling process, namely the decrease in temperature, from 45°C to 20°C in less than 30 minutes, will stop the ferment’s development and will fix the ph value.
When associated with a control device, a fast cooling system offers the possibility to guaranty a very precised ph level of approximately 4.4, all year.
A firmer yogurt’s texture
A fast cooling system will also limit losses of yogurt’s water, conferring them greater firmness and thus a more homogeneous consistency.
An extended product’s lifetime
European dairy products can be consumed within up to 40 days.
Such product’s lifetime difference is principally due to the fast cooling process adopted.
Optimisation of Quality Production and Cost
The fast cooling process offers advantages for the factory’s quality.
A fast cooling system limits the product’s storage in cold rooms
In times of high production and considering the fact that the yogurts’ temperature when leaving the factory is of 4°C, the storage of the yogurt is unnecessary. The products are ready to be sent immediately.
Homogeneous products of equal quality, all year round
The control of the fast cooling process allows to improve the reliability of the factory’s production over time and guarantees the manufacturing of high quality products throughout the year.
Technically, the fast cooling process can be used through different technologies, for instance; cooling tunnels for a dynamic cooling process or fast cooling cells for a static cooling process.
The choice of the technology to be used will depend on the criterion established according to the current manufacturing process used at the factory and the type of product.
Technically, the fast cooling system process can be used for:
- Cooling products installed on pallets
- Cooling one product at a time
- Displacing pallets manually
- Automated pallet’s displacement
- Etc.
These technologies are adapted for packaging weighting less than 750 grams, enabling an interesting heat exchange.
Industrial equipments, the cooling tunnels and cooling cells are particularly designed for factories with production capacities of approximately 20 tons per day at minimum, hence approximately 40 pallets per day.
