7 replies to this topic

[DSTechnicalManager]

Hello

 

Would anybody give me an advice ref to chilled soups? The product is fully cooked and then chilled, it's packed in bags. It must be kept chilled.

Would you say it is high care product?

[GMO]

Absolutely, or rather high risk.  There could be an argument that if it's hot filled into the packaging and cooled within the packaging, the environment of that filler is high care even if the surrounding area is not, but that's fraught with risk.  Much better and simpler to control if you are assembling into a high risk environment.  It wouldn't be high care unless you're including ingredients which have not been fully heat treated, e.g. fresh herbs added after cooking which feels unlikely. 

 

Why it's high risk?  Because your product will be high Aw and support the growth of pathogenic bacteria.

 

Let us know if you need more help and advice as while I'd recommend a high risk area either way, your controls (and risk) will increase if you're cooling then filling the bags rather than filling then cooling.  Particularly I'd make some comments on shelf life issues to watch out for in the case of the former, i.e. there will be the 10 day / botulinum risk to consider.

Edited by GMO, 10 February 2025 - 10:35 AM.

[SQFconsultant]

Yes.

[DSTechnicalManager]

Hi, thank you all.

 

Does anybody have experience in production of frozen soups ? This is something new for me and i am looking for some advice on what to watch out for etc.

Why is blast chilling so important ? 

[GMO]

Hi, thank you all.

 

Does anybody have experience in production of frozen soups ? This is something new for me and i am looking for some advice on what to watch out for etc.

Why is blast chilling so important ? 

 

Blast chilling or blast freezing?

 

Blast chilling is important to reduce the temperature to the point where most pathogenic bacteria aren't growing, as quickly as possible.  

 

Blast freezing is more about quality.  The quicker you freeze something the smaller the ice crystals.  Yes, Listeria monocytogenes growth will also be stopped by freezing but that's not really why you need to do it via a blast process.  Smaller ice crystals tend to mean you don't break down pieces within your soup.  There are also practical and life considerations that you need to know when your product was frozen so you can determine life.

[kfromNE]

Why it is important - it's a CCP or should be if you don't have it as one. If you don't take the cooling temp in the allotted time, you'll most likely have to throw away the product. 

 

Not sure how big your blast freezer is or what your process is. However, if you have a smaller blast freezer, watch how many hot soups you put into at a time. 

The blast freezer will rise in temperature by a few degrees. You must take this into account and the cooling time. 

[GMO]

When you say "bags" what kind of bags?  Is this for retail or business to business?  If it's the latter, I'd be inclined to hot fill into bags and if you can, use a capkold style cooling system to cool to fridge temperature then blast freeze.  If you blast freeze directly you will need to have lots of gaps between bags for air flow.

 

Also make sure your bags are thick enough to cope with freezing and are not overfilled so they don't burst!

[tahoeskier]

decision tree attached

 

 

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Edited by tahoeskier, 17 February 2025 - 03:14 PM.