1. Introduction
Preservation systems that lengthen the delivery and storage space time are cook-chill, cook-freeze and sous vide.
2. Preservation systems
2. 1 Cook-chill
The term cook-chill refers to a wedding caterers system which involves the full cooking of food, accompanied by blast chilling and chilled safe-keeping at between 0C and 3C. The meals can be stored for 5 times. Food is sent out in refrigerated vehicles and reheated before service. The basic principle feature of an blast chiller is that it's capable of rapidly reducing the temp of hot foods to low, safe temps. Therefore, they make it easier for caterers to comply with food safeness and temp control legislations. Cook-chill systems can also decrease the threat of food poisoning and the development of bacteria in foods.
The types of procedures and key top features of cook-chill:
If you purchase raw materials that are poor quality, they will not improve with baking. It is very important, that you make sure your supplier only provides you with high quality products and, if possible, check their storage, handling and syndication methods. 7
Having received good quality raw materials, keep them in a safe storage space before they are really used.
Pre-preparation of foods, keeping away from cross-contamination by personnel handling the several types of organic foods. On the preparation level, basic Food Cleanliness Restrictions and HACCP Recommendations apply.
It is essential to cook the food at a temperature of 70C for at least 2 minutes. That is to ensure that any pathogenic micro-organisms which may be present are ruined. 7
Once after the food is grilled, the chilling process must start immediately and for the most part within thirty minutes, going out of time for hot portioning prior to chilling. 7 However, handling of food should be held to the very least to avoid cross-contamination.
All food should be chilled to between 0C and 3C within 90 minutes of being placed in a great time chiller. This isn't only to ensure protection, but also preserves the appearance, feel, flavour and vitamins and minerals of food. 7
Chilled food should be stored in a fervent refrigerated storage case at a temp of between 0C and 3C, to be able to regulate the expansion of micro-organisms. You should use a refrigerated cupboard or frosty room designed for chilled food storage space, and put it to use solely for your cook-chill products.
In a centralised cook-chill system, the food is supplied to 1 or even more other locations; the laundry must be transferred to the other site whilst in their chilled state, held below 5C. The usage of refrigerated vehicles is recommended, or at least, pre-chilled insulated storage containers for brief journeys. 7
Cooked and chilled foods that are to be eaten cool or at room heat, should be used within thirty minutes of removal from storage. 7 If the meals is usually to be reheated to 70C, this will start within 30 minutes following the food is removed from the chilled storage space. Regeneration must happen close to the idea of consumption.
2. 2 Cook-freeze
The term cook-freeze identifies a catering system that involves the full cooking of food, followed by blast freezing and storage area of food at a controlled low temp of -18C/-22C, before manipulated and detailed thawing and regeneration prior to service. Food can be stored for 2 months at this managed temperature. For the cook-freeze system, you require a blast freezer rather than a blast chiller, suitable storage for iced foods and, preferably, a handled thawing cabinet. Blast freezing can even be used for recycleables and semi produced products.
The procedures and key features of cook-freeze:
Raw food should be purchased by using a standard purchasing specification to ensure quality and persistence.
All foods should be kept under strict temperatures control, in hygienic and clean conditions until necessary for preparation.
Pre-preparation of foods, keeping away from cross-contamination by staff handling the various types of fresh foods.
Cooking should be ideally done in batches. Sometimes it could be necessary to adapt the meals to account for large level batch production and account for chemical changes in the meals and due to storage for eight weeks at suprisingly low temperatures.
Within a period limit of thirty minutes, all hot food should be portioned into one or multi-portions prior to freezing.
In order to maintain food quality and prevent any growth of bacteria all prepared food should be positioned in a great time freezer within thirty minutes of final cooking food and being portioned. The blast freeze routine transforms the liquid present in the food into microcrystals which do not ruin the tissue composition of the product and ensures the grade of the meals is maintained so you still have a superior quality product after defrosting.
The shelf-life of pre-cooked frozen food varies according to type but in cold storage, it could be stored up to eight weeks with no significant lack of nutrition or palatability.
All circulation should happen using chilled insulated storage containers for any brief journeys or refrigerated vehicles for much longer journeys.
Frozen food can be thawed to 3C prior to being regenerated or be regenerated directly from its iced state. Food should be warmed to a minimum of 70C for at least 2 minutes. Any foods regenerated and not used must be ruined and not reheated or delivered to a refrigerator.
2. 3 Sous-vide
The term sous-vide refers to a wedding caterers system that involves the prep of quality uncooked foods, pre-cooking if required, packaging food in high-barrier vinyl bags, vacuum sealing the bags and cooking the meals in the vacuum covered pouches. Food is then stored in the pouches at a controlled temperatures of between 0C and 3C, for 21 times.
The sous-vide method escalates the potential shelf-life of normal cook-chill/cook-freeze in three ways:
By removing the environment from the plastic material handbags or pouches the growth of all bacteria is restricted.
The food is prepared at pasteurization temperature aiding the damage of all micro-organisms.
The food being covered within the totes or pouches is guarded during storage and regeneration from any cross-contamination.
The strategies and key features of sous-vide:
Fresh ingredients must be used for sous-vide cooking food because it can lower original microbial levels, increasing shelf life and product freshness.
Vacuum clear plastic pouches of organic food should not be held for more than two days and nights before sous-vide pasteurization above 60C commences.
In sous-vide cooking food areas, separate preparation areas for uncooked food and grilled food must be allocated. All utensils and working floors must be held hygienically clean by sterilization.
When new dishes are developed, exact heat, baking time and types of procedures must be saved, and must be used specifically by the staff.
All sous-vide equipment must be retained and examined regularly. Vacuum clear plastic pouches should be examined for leakage.
Attention must get to accurate temps control and monitoring as sous-vide especially since foods lack chemical preservatives, which normally arrest biological activity in processed food items.
Main temperatures should be assessed with a heat range thermometer, that ought to be hygienically cleaned.
Cooking temperatures must not exceed 70C to be sure that the juiciness of the food is not absent.
Vacuum plastic material pouches must be labelled with information of material and name of the staff who prepared the meals, date of pasteurisation and expiration.
Sous-vide food must be cooled to 3. 3C or below in less than 2 hours and consumed within the specified shelf-life storage area time. C
Sous-vide food must be stored at 3C or below. C
Proper and correct control over refrigerator temperature ranges must be looked after.
When serving sous-vide food, the regeneration heating used must be the identical to that required in traditional cooking.
Advantages of cook-chill system
Disadvantages of cook-chill system
Batch processing that involves minimal processing. Having a greater control over portioning and reduced wastage.
Production segregated from utilization. Therefore, the business enterprise can totally utilised staff time, keeping costs.
Central purchasing with bulk buying discount, benefitting the business enterprise.
Chiller storage area is cheaper to install and run than freezer storage space. 4
Blast chillers are cheaper to set up and run than blast freezers. 4
Thawing time is taken out.
Extended shelf life in the distribution string. Foods are chilled and then regenerated on site, resolving the challenge of moving hot foods.
Regeneration systems are simpler - infrared and steam convention ovens are mainly used in support of 12 minutes is required to reheat all foods.
Anaerobic environment that helps prevent the progress of aerobic spoilage organisms. 5
Minimises processing effect on sensory and healthy attributes. Keeping its freshness.
Standards looked after provide quality food to customers.
Allows for a foodservice director to get coveted control in every arenas-cost, convenience, labour and quality.
No system is too small to adapt to cook-chill. 4
Microbiological spoilage scheduled to:
Temperature misuse;
Insufficient pasteurization; or
Aerobic spoilage.
Product shelf lives that are shorter than those demanded by the store, consumer and commercial caterer, scheduled to contact with air during various prep stages.
Loss of sensory quality credited to non-rapid chilling.
Chilled storage is product based mostly, for instance, vegetables may develop acidy / pungent flavours within 2 days and nights.
Risk to open public health if not been able as a system. D Adequate refrigeration must be retained at all times.
Advantages of cook-freeze system
Disadvantages of cook-freeze system
Simplified employee scheduling. Skilled employees work eight-hour shifts, Mondays - Fridays. B
Separate items can prepare yourself in batches, limiting the amount of times the item needs to be prepared.
There are forget about peak production workloads, ensuring that employees can be utilized consistently throughout their shifts with no added stress of peak creation. B Since personnel are separated from the usage area, the workers would not feel pressured to work faster, nothing like the chefs in a kitchen during optimum hours.
Batch prep can reduce labour costs.
Seasonal purchasing provides considerable savings.
Extended shelf life in the syndication chain. Foods are freezing and then regenerated on site, dealing with the situation of moving hot foods.
Delivery to units will be far less frequent. 4 Since batches can be delivered in one large amount in refrigerator vehicles.
Long term planning of production and selections become possible. 4
Less dependence on price fluctuations.
More suitable for vending machines adding microwave. 4
Equipment costs are high, demanding additional freezer space, packaging products, reheating equipment.
Employees who must work weekends may be resentful of employees who don't work weekends. B
Large glaciers crystals formed can harm food, dried it out, and breakdown the physical composition. 6 The meals may lose its appearance, triggering dissatisfaction among the list of guests.
Thawing is required.
Not all frozen foods can be efficiently prepared without extensively modifying the ingredients or recipes. Foods lose their flavour or consistency after freezing.
Advantages of sous-vide system
Disadvantages of sous-vide system
The flavour, palatability and nutrition are improved, in accordance with normal control, because all the items are performed within the covered pouch. Therefore, customers can benefit from more healthy foods.
Less additives / preservatives needed.
Reduced threat of cross-contamination due to pouches used that provide a convenient deal for safe handling and circulation.
Wider variety of produced goods, offering more choices to customers.
Shrinkage of the cooked properly product is reduced, increasing the yield by up to 20% compared to normal cooking.
Reduced oxygen product packaging retards the oxidative rancidity of excess fat and natural oils.
Batch processing which involves minimal handling. Having a greater control over portioning and reduced wastage.
Centralised production, keeping staff time and costs.
Has a longer shelf life than cook-chill, of up to 21 days.
Can provide a flexible production method to catering unites of all sizes with particular applications to a la carte and function menus.
Spoilage is often not apparent.
Microbiological spoilage scheduled to:
Temperature maltreatment;
Insufficient pasteurization; or
Aerobic spoilage.
Exceptionally high standards of hygiene are fundamental.
Product safety is dependent on proper handling and handling.
Sous-vide involves higher set-up capital and operating costs than cook-chill.
Adequate refrigeration must be looked after at all times.
Extra cost to consumer.
Complete meals can't be produced as certain foods need to be processed in another way, for instance, beef and fruit and vegetables.
4. 1 Cook-chill
Cook-chill is a healthy way of planning food. One major edge is the fact chilled foods are less perishable and retain nutrients longer than foods cooked properly and kept at serving heat for relatively long periods in the cook-and-serve systems. Detrimental bacteria is rendered dormant 6 in cook-chill systems, minimising food spoilage.
Colour, texture, flavour, framework and vitamins and minerals are locked in. 6 Chilled foods often look more appealing than frozen foods and therefore can be effectively found in cook-chill vending situations.
Delicate food areas such as pasta and berry are safeguarded, as speedy chilling can stop an "ice pores and skin" building 6 which can instead dehydrate and harm the products' psychical framework and appearance.
Information on nutritional deficits in cook-chill catering systems is assessed, which is bound and conflicting. Generally, it suggests deficits of vitamin supplements C, and possibly other labile nutrients seem to be significant in cook-chill systems. A
One major downside is that not absolutely all chilled foods can be efficiently prepared without extensively modifying the materials or dishes. Some foods may lose their flavour or structure after chilling. Food, which should have a clean texture, cannot be prepared by cook-chilling. Chilling the meals causes the meals to reduce its crispness.
4. 2 Cook-freeze
Cook-freeze is nearly the same as cook-chill, except that the meals is iced not chilled in this system. Blast freezing keeps food looking good. The slower the meals freezes, the bigger the glaciers crystals form; and large snow crystals can damage food, dried it out, and break down the physical structure 6 causing the meals to lose its attractive appearance. Textural changes may occur; soft fruits may become mushy because the cell structure of the fruits collapses. For instance, a food that may not be nearly as good after freezing is strawberries, they often go gentle after freezing. Some other foods that are unsuitable for freezing are eggs, cream, potatoes, sauces and cheese.
During blanching of fruit and veggies, ascorbic acid (vitamin supplements C) and thiamin (B1) are vulnerable. Nutrients in the form of thaw drip may be lost when foods are thawed, for example, thiamine from beef. However, cook-freeze systems lead to better vitamin C retention than normal systems with significant warm-holding cycles. A
One major advantage exactly like cook-chill is the fact iced foods are less perishable and retain nutrients longer than foods cooked properly and presented at serving temperature for relatively long periods in the cook-and-serve systems. One major disadvantage is that not absolutely all frozen foods can be effectively prepared without thoroughly modifying the ingredients or recipes. As stated from above, foods lose their flavour or surface after freezing.
4. 3 Sous-vide
Most of the benefits of sous-vide systems are straight related to the actual fact that food is put in a sealed pouch; reducing exposure to oxygen, and prepared at low temperatures. The overall impact is accurate control over oxygen, heat and added water. Heat, oxygen and drinking water are mostly accountable for reducing the healthy ideals of conventionally prepared foods.
As a minimal temperature / flameless food preparation method, little additional body fat is necessary during cooking to prevent food containing protein from sticking with cooking surfaces. Any extra lipids are mainly for the advancement of feel and flavour. Due to the vinyl pouch, oxidation is greatly reduced, keeping the characteristics of essential acids such as polyunsaturated excess fat.
The plastic pouch prevents the loss of flavours and moisture content. In fact, flavours are amplified, and fewer preservatives and flavouring such as spices and less sodium are required, minimizing the entire sodium content of sous-vide foods. Water-soluble minerals are lost into cooking food water, lessening the mineral content of foods prepared by conventional means. The pouch minimises mineral loss, conserving the mineral content of fresh foods.
Regardless of preparing process, many natural vitamins destabilize during heat treatment. Research shows that supplement C retention decreases to 85% after pasteurization and chilled safe-keeping for 5 days versus organic product of the same time. A Sous-vide supplies the highest retention of vitamins versus steaming, boiling and other cooking methods.
As with all foods, nutritional profile is greatly influenced by freshness and little processing intervals. Menu items ready in restaurant using sous-vide showcase energetic flavours and fresh textures, making balanced diet more "lively" to consume. Sous-vide cooking retains valuable nutritional prices of fresh and wholesome foods.
5. Conclusion
The nutrients that provide us energy and help us be healthy also cause our food to spoil. There are numerous micro-organisms in the environment that get their nourishment from these nutrition. As these micro-organisms start disintegrating the nutrients, they tripped the procedure of food spoilage. Understanding the essential role that micro-organisms play in spoiling food, numerous ways of food preservation have been developed. Each one of these methods work by changing one or a few conditions, such as temp, water / dampness or air in the meals, or in the environment where the food is retained. Changing or modifying these factors hinders the progress of the micro-organisms, and therefore helps prevent food spoilage, enhance / maintain flavours, appearance and feel.
