Innovation meets industrial standards

French firm Sofraco produces and markets ice creams, sorbets and iced desserts for distribution in its homeland and for markets abroad, in both the retail and catering sectors, and commercial catering.

Established in 1977 for a fruit, vegetable and frozen-food wholesaler and distributor by Bernard Bruder, Sofraco first sold its products to local authorities and the catering sector, then expanded its operation to meet the requirements of large-scale distribution. This was made possible with the introduction of service-provider platforms for the reception of ices and frozen foods and their onward distribution to hypermarkets and supermarkets.

The quality of Sofraco ices is monitored at all stages of production: selection of basic ingredients, production, freezing at –45°C, storage in a very high-capacity cold store, followed by shipment in a refrigerated lorry at –25°C to distribution platforms.

Decorating an ice cream
After preparation using various natural ingredients, ice creams and sorbets leave the freezers at a temperature of –6°C. Ice cream cups or cones then need to be decorated with sauces, dried-fruit nuggets, nut flakes or chocolate chips, depending on the recipe.

To prevent the risk of the product melting, a surface-hardening (or crusting) process is required, producing a thickness varying according to decoration type and necessary handling time. For this purpose, before being decorated, the product passes through a crusting/freezing tunnel. When it emerges, no risk exists of the product losing its shape, and the decoration instantly adheres to its surface.

Collaboration
It was this crisping/freezing tunnel that initiated an across-the-Atlantic collaboration between Sofraco and Pennsylvania-based Air Products. Sofraco needed a system permitting it to obtain a specially thick surface hardness within seconds. Air Products was able to offer the appropriate equipment.

Soon afterward, Sofraco and Air Products jointly developed distribution channels for liquid nitrogen for the production of ice lollies, and installed a second crisping/freezing tunnel.

3-D ice cream unveiled
In spring of 1999, Bruder was searching for a process that would enable him to produce 3-D ice creams automatically and in large quantities. At the same time Bruder was searching, Air Products was finalizing a new patented technology for the automatic shaping of ice cream, called ZAT (Zero Adhesion Technology).

The company saw the opportunity to meet customer requirements, while simultaneously launching new equipment onto the market. Hence, the arrival of the Cryo-ZAT.

Mould removal makes the automatic production of 3-D ice cream difficult to achieve. The problem is that none of the moulds used to give an ice cream its shape is ever perfect. If the crisping of the ice cream occurs too slowly, the product sticks fast to the mould. The ice cream then must be warmed to soften the surface. After removal, it's necessary to clean the mould and rechill it. The result of this process is that it is largely manual, slow and laborious, and also can damage the product. In addition, the operation produces a medium-quality product and is financially wasteful.

This is where Air Products' ZAT technology comes into effect.

Secret of ‘shapely' ice creams
The basic principle seems simple: If the mould's walls are chilled quickly before filling, the product can be crisped very quickly so it no longer becomes incrusted in the rough surfaces of the mould. Removal from the mould is then clean and immediate, eliminating the need for warming, cleaning and chilling.

In reality, the operation is more complex, since it is necessary to: manufacture moulds of the required shape for the finished product; control the application of ice cream from the freezer onto trays; and ensure the handling of products as they leave the machine.

At the start of the cycle, the mould is chilled and prepared. In the first stage, the machine accurately deposits ice cream as it leaves the freezer. If necessary, it adds a wooden stick. Then, the mould moves to the next stage (shaping), where the product obtains its final form (stamping).

Mould and ice cream are then chilled very quickly, and the operator removes the products without needing to warm or clean of moulds. The 3-D products then are placed in their packaging or pass to the decorating phase.

What the future holds
Sofraco signed a partnership agreement with Air Products, in which it was agreed that Air Products would supply a machine based on the ZAT process, but adapted to the specific requirements of their customer, as well as hoc moulds for two to nine products per tray. Sofraco agreed to take charge of depositing of ice cream onto trays, as well as product handling at the end of the process. Since February, a small Cryo-ZAT has been producing its first 3-D ice creams (the target production rate being more than 6,000 products per hour).

In the near future, a more powerful machine (between 150 and 300 ice lollies per/minute), designed for linear production (no longer rotary), will be coming on line after a validation phase.