Products in Progress
 
California's second largest canned fruit cooperative, Pacific Coast Producers, has its hands full for two to three months each year when it processes various fresh crops. For a brief 40- to 80-day period, visitors find the cooperative's Lodi and Oroville, Calif., facilities working round the clock on peaches, pears, tomatoes and grapes.

But what to do for the remaining nine months of the year? That's when California Custom Foods, a wholly-owned subsidiary, takes over. Since 1990, the Oroville-based business has put Pacific Coast Producers' Valuable asset base to use. The company has grown by producing fruit cups, gels and tomato-based products for retail, foodservice and private label customers.

As sales have increased so have demands on the plant's equipment, including its product cooling system. Steve Lawrence, California Custom Foods' president, notes that a former mechanical system was very inefficient. It involved numerous moving parts and individual flights that sometimes damaged product.

Yet Mr. Lawrence believes his company has solved its production problems by installing a Vertical Cascade Chilling System from I.J. White, Farmingdale, N.Y.

"It's 100% flawless from a product damage standpoint and as far as efficiency, it has just worked like a dream," Mr. Lawrence says.

"One of the advantages of the I.J. White system is that it takes a very small foot print, because we need to convey the product 400 ft. into a packaging warehouse."

With I.J. White's Vertical Chilling System, products keep the same orientation from the infeed to discharge. While the system gently elevates product toward the discharge outlet, strategically placed spray nozzles ensure that chilled water provides complete product coverage.
I.J. White Vertical Cascade Chilling System
Meanwhile, the system's overall design brings additional benefits. A multiple-pass water design reduces dwell times and maximizes BTU removal. I.J. White's energy saving approach uses cold water instead of air to cool products more efficiently.

I.J. White's total system approach cannot be ignored either. Its water chilling package features microprocessor controls and a wide operating capacity. The equipment also has adjustable volume spray controls and a multiple pumping system with preset pressure controls for water spray.

System flexibility enables California Custom Foods to run either a cooling tower or to run water through a refrigerant system. The cooling system even allows for customized water distribution configurations.

"It's been very good. It's worked beyond expectations," Lawrence adds.

I.J. White offers a complete line of spiral cooling and blast freezing systems. Its
Vertical Cascade Chilling System also is appropriate for Pouch product applications.
REFRIGERATED FROZEN FOODS - October 1996