What does IQF mean in UNCLASSIFIED

IQF is a method used to preserve food by freezing individual pieces separately from one another. This ensures that individual pieces remain intact and lock in optimal freshness and flavour.

There are many advantages to using the IQF process. It increases shelf life while reducing waste due to reduced spoilage, it allows minimal handling time so labour costs are saved, it reduces costs due to increased product yield, and it provides convenience by preserving individual pieces that can be quickly added to recipes or meals.

The process begins by individually chilling each piece before they enter into an industrial freezer chamber. Once inside the freezer chamber, they are exposed to temperatures as low as -40°C/-40°F which flash freezes them instantly in order to preserve both quality and flavour profile.

While there is no risk involved with the actual freezing process itself, excess exposure to air during post-freezing processes such as storage can cause oxidation which can have a negative impact on flavour and overall quality. Therefore it is important for food service professionals to take proper precautions when storing products after being frozen for optimal results.

Although most types of products can be processed using this method, some items such as fruits with high sugar content or products that require cook-before-eating may not hold their shape very well when frozen and should not be processed using this method.