Automatic compensating freezing and heating recipes

Abstract

A method of adjusting a base recipe for a product introduced into a processor, includes providing a base recipe used by the processor on the product, identifying at least one parameter of the base recipe to be altered to compensate for at least one corresponding physical parameter of the product discharged from the processor, automatically changing the base recipe in response to the at least one altered parameter to compensate for the at least one physical parameter of the product discharged, and processing new product introduced into the processor with the changed base recipe.

1 . A method of adjusting a base recipe for a product introduced into a processor, comprising providing a base recipe used by the processor on the product, identifying at least one parameter of the base recipe to be altered to compensate for at least one corresponding physical parameter of the product discharged from the processor, automatically changing the base recipe in response to the at least one altered parameter to compensate for the at least one physical parameter of the product discharged, and processing new product introduced into the processor with the changed base recipe. 
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the processor comprises a freezer. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the processor comprises an oven. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one parameter comprises a parameter selected from at least one of residence time of the product in the processor, product inlet temperature, process temperature, product outlet temperature, product surface area, product weight, product heat load, product heat transfer co-efficient, fan speed, and product moisture content. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the at least one physical parameter of the product discharged from the processor comprises a parameter selected from at least one of product outlet temperature, product surface area and product moisture content. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the base recipe comprises providing a chilling substance to the processor for contacting the product. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the chilling substance comprises a cryogenic substance. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the cryogenic substance comprises nitrogen. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the chilling substance comprises carbon dioxide. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the base recipe comprises providing heat to the processor for contacting the product. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the heat is provided to the processor by at least one of convection currents, conduction and radiation. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the base recipe comprises introducing heat to the processor for contacting the product. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the product comprises a food product. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the food product is selected from meat, poultry, fish, vegetables, fruit, bakery products, dairy products and processed foods. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the product comprises a pharmaceutical product.