Understanding IQF:
IQF stands for ‘individually quick frozen’. IQF foods are notable for the fact that each individual piece of food (Vegetable or fruit) is frozen separately, the technology thereby avoiding formation of solid blocks of frozen items. This preserves them better and makes it easier to de-freeze and cook with them.
The IQF method, also called flash freezing, involves sending the individual food items on a sort of conveyor belt into a blast chiller that freezes the item very quickly. When food items are separately frozen only very small ice crystals are formed (compared to conventional freezing) thus causing less damage to the food fibers and reduces degrading.
IQF Vegetables are fruits are better than fresh ones. Here’s why:
- Short freezing prevents the formation of large ice crystals which degrade food.
- Retains membrane structures at the molecular level. The Food Item continues to retain its shape, color, smell and taste after defrosting.
- Option (for consumers) to defrost and use only needed quantity.
- Great convenience and value for money proposition compared to fresh vegetable use (no spoilt pieces or parts, no need for cleaning or cutting and longer shelf life)
AgroFood Ventures is associated with CIAN Agrotech, who are one of the largest IQF (frozen food) manufacturers in India. The products are being retailed under the brand name CIAN FRESH. CIAN Agro has a state-of-the-art, highly automated production facility to clean, sort, process, quick-freeze and store IQF products. The strategic and progressive partnership between AgroFood Ventures and CIAN ensures not just bulk distribution and export of IQF products to many countries (Middle East & Canada primarily) but also retailing of the products in major supermarkets and institutional supply to ready-to-eat food producers, food processing unit, caterers and restaurant chains. Having satisfied individual customers and institutional buyers, we believe, is the best testimony to the product quality and consumer experience.