Tímarit Verkfræðingafélags Íslands - 01.12.1967, Page 98

96
TlMARIT VFI 1967
Disadvantages - Economy
The main disadvantage of freeze-drying is the
high costs of the plants and of the operation.
A freeze-dr-ying plant, handling about 4 tons
of prepared foods per 24 hours costs abt. US
$ 300.000 to procure and install, a plant of 8 t/24
h US $ 600.000, 16 t/24 h US $ 1.000.000, and
32 t/24 h US $ 1.800.000. These figures may be
2-3 times as high as for a corresponding freezing
plant, but may compare with a complete freezing
chain including refrigerated trucks, intermediate
cold stores, delivery vans and display cabinets
in the shops.
A canning plant may be installed at a cost of
25-30% of a corresponding freeze-drying plant.
Calculating a 250 days a year working period
the fixed costs per kg of water evaporated, in-
cluding depreciation, interest, insurance, manage-
ment etc., will be
for the 4 t/24 h plant US cents 6-7
— — 8 — - — — — 5-6
__ 16 — - — — — 4-5
— — 32 — - — — — 3,5-4
The variable costs including labour, fuel,
electricity, nitrogen etc. can be estimated at:
Labour Utilities Total
for the 4 t/24 h plant US cents 5,0 3,4 8,4
— — 8 — - — — — 3,2 3,0 6,2
— — 16 — - — — — 2,0 2,6 4,6
32 1,2 2,2 3,4
The total costs, including fixed and variable costs per kg of water evaporated are:
for the 4 t/24 h plant US. cents abt. 15
— — 8 — - — — — — 12
— — 16 — - — — — — 9
_ _ 32 — - — — — — 7,5
Even if these figures are based on North-
American conditions, I assume that they give a
relatively good picture of the situation.
It should be remembered that the fixed costs
per kg of water evaporated will go up appre-
ciably if the number of working days, here esti-
mated at 250 per year, is not arrived at.
Which products are freeze-dried today?
In order to get an impression of the activity
of the freeze-drying industry, let us make an
analysis of the type of products which are treated
around in the world:
Other
USA Europe Countries Total
Total number of plants treating: 23 35 9 67
Vegetables 9 19 3 31
Fruits, Berries 12 8 4 24
Seafood 5 4 1 10
Meats 11 10 4 25
Poultry 7 4 ? 11
Eggs 1 2 1 4
Mushrooms 7 4 3 14
Coffee, Tea 4 2 1 . 7
Dairy Products 2 5 1 8
Prepared dishes 4 5 1 10
The reason why the sum of the last coloum
exceeds the total number of 67 is, of course,
that many factories are treating several products.
Based upon the above information, we can now
deduct why freeze-dried products are used despite
their relatively high costs and for which purposes
they are used.
Remanufacturing industries
By far the largest part of the freeze-dried
products are used as components in mixtures
of other foods. Hereby their supreme quality
increases the acceptability of the final food
composition and the higher marginal costs of
the low proportioned freeze-dried items are not
significant. Vegetables like brussel sprouts, leeks,
onions, paprika, cauliflower and asparagus are
used in soup powders and in prepared dishes.
This is also true about mushrooms and poultry
meat. Meat like beef, ham and poultry is used
in casserole dishes, like beef stroganoff, swiss
steak and creamed chicken. Ham is used in
combination with ready made spray-dried ome-
lette powder.
Fruits and berries are used in large volumes
in cereals like cornflakes, where the admixed
strawberries or bananas make the children jump
at their breakfast without need of pushing them.
Also a large quantity is used in baby foods.
The ready cake mixes contain appreciable
amounts of blueberries and black currants and
ready — to make — jams and fruit jellies are
also of great future interest.
Freeze-dried shrimps can be mixed with instant
rice, tomato and chili powder to give an appe-
tizing shrimp creole in a few minutes, adding
a little water and cooked and crab meat gives
a most delicious salad.
The number of possibilities for an industrious
food manufacturer is legion if he understands to