In the banana processing industry, IQF is a very common and important processing method. But why do bananas need IQF? What is the process of IQF?
Why need to IQF bananas?
1. Extend the shelf life: Bananas are a tropical fruit with high sugar and water content, which is very easy to deteriorate after ripening. Through iqf technology, the temperature of bananas can be quickly reduced to below -18°C, inhibiting the activity of microorganisms and enzymes, thereby significantly extending the shelf life.
2. Lock in nutrition and flavor: The freezing process quickly passes through the ice crystal formation zone to form small and uniform ice crystals, which maximizes the original nutrients and taste of bananas and avoids nutrient loss and tissue damage.
3. Suitable for a variety of downstream processing needs: Quickly frozen bananas can be used to make a variety of products such as milkshakes and ice cream, and are an important raw material for many food processing companies.
Processing process:
The production process of iqf bananas needs to be carried out in a clean, low-temperature environment to ensure food safety and quality. The main process is as follows:
1. Selection and acceptance: Select fresh bananas and remove damaged, rotten or immature fruits to ensure the quality of processed raw materials.
2. Peeling: Remove the banana peel and keep the intact flesh to prepare for subsequent cutting or quick freezing.
3. Slicing/cutting (optional): Cut the bananas into segments, slices or blocks according to customer needs or product specifications. Common specifications are 1cm thick slices or 3-5cm segments.
4. Pretreatment (optional): To prevent oxidation and discoloration, soak the cut banana segments in an antioxidant solution (such as a vitamin C solution) for a few minutes.
5. Water removing: Remove excess water to avoid excessive ice crystals that may affect quality during freezing.
6. Quick freezing: Bananas are quickly frozen to -18℃ or lower in a short time using a freezer machine, usually within 30 minutes.
7. Packaging: Quickly freeze bananas in food-grade packaging bags or vacuum packaging, and label them.
IQF bananas not only effectively solve the problem of bananas being easily perishable, but also provide a stable, high-quality raw material guarantee for the diversified development of banana products.