The industrial frozen vegetable processing line is a highly automated food processing system that is specifically designed for the pre-processing, freezing and packaging of large quantities of vegetables to maintain their freshness and nutritional value. The main processes of the production line include the following steps:
1. Receiving and picking: Fresh vegetables are first screened on a conveyor belt to remove dirt, weeds and unqualified vegetables, such as rotten or damaged individuals.
2. Cleaning: Use a large amount of clean water or a mild detergent to thoroughly clean the dirt and pesticide residues on the surface of the vegetables through a drum scrubber, spray equipment, etc.
3. Cutting and trimming: Cut the vegetables into specified shapes and sizes according to product requirements. This process can be completed by automated slicing, dicing, and strip cutting equipment.
4. Blanching: In order to kill bacteria, inactivate enzyme activity and maintain the color of vegetables, vegetables will be quickly blanched in hot water or steam, and the time is strictly controlled to minimize nutrient loss.
5. Cooling: After blanching, the vegetables are quickly cooled by cold water or vacuum cooling to quickly reduce the temperature, lock in nutrients and prepare for the freezing stage.
6. Freezing: Using quick freezing tunnels or fluidized freezing technology, vegetables are quickly frozen to extremely low temperatures (-18°C or lower) to form tiny ice crystals, which prevent large ice crystals from destroying the cell structure and affecting the taste and texture.
7. Grading and screening: After freezing, the vegetables are graded again by weight, size or color through electronic scales or optical sorters to ensure the consistency of product quality.
8. Packaging: According to customer requirements, the graded frozen vegetables are weighed and packaged using automatic packaging machines. Vacuum packaging or modified atmosphere packaging can be selected to further extend the shelf life.
9. Metal detection and inspection: The packaged products will pass through metal detectors to remove possible metal foreign matter, and then undergo a final quality inspection to ensure food safety.
10. Refrigerated storage and delivery: Finally, qualified frozen vegetable products are sent to low-temperature refrigerated warehouses for shipment. The entire process maintains a continuous cold chain to ensure that the products are fresh from processing to the hands of consumers.
This frozen vegetable processing line has greatly improved the production efficiency and product quality of frozen vegetables and is a key component of the modern food processing industry.