Extremely cold ‘cryobits’ accelerate temperature reduction of the packaged product. Ice crystals and air bubbles are significantly smaller with partial cryogenic hardening compared to traditional hardening methods.
The term “cryogenic” refers to the achievement of extremely low temperatures, generally considered to be in the range of < -285 F, using materials such as liquid nitrogen (LN).
The cryogenic freezing of ice cream is appealing because the very rapid temperature drop it produces generates extremely small ice crystals that promote smooth texture and extended textural shelf life. To date, technical, operational and economic factors have limited its use in conventional production to a few value-added products such as novelties and ice cream cakes/pies.