The longer a fresh vegetable is exposed to heat after it is cut, the more bacteria and excess moisture take their toll on quality. Quickly cooling stops bacteria growth and ensures freshness. Utilizing a system of rapid cooling extends shelf life of the product three to ten days, depending on the product. This increases allowable travel times and potentially opens new markets.

The exclusive task of Refrigeration Systems blast freezer is to freeze fresh product. The typical product is vegetables, fruits, juices (concentrate or pulp), dough, meat, fish, poultry and seafood. The purpose of blast freezing is to achieve long term preservation. Products to be frozen enter the chamber at temperature above 32ºF then the blast freezer reduces the product temperature to below 32ºF, where it changes to a frozen state.

There are various methods to store the product. Wrapping the product prior to freezing helps to minimize weight loss, deformation and changes in color. A practice used with sea food is immersing the product in chilled water and then freezing it.