Chicken nuggets are a big deal. Ask “Real Good Foods,” who got on the chicken nugget bandwagon when they realized Americans eat 2.3 billion of them per year. It’s the 7th most popular item on McDonald’s menu across the planet.
Getting chicken from raw product to final product requires the right equipment, in the right order, with proper chilling all along the way.
To make the process efficient while delivering top-quality results, Challenge RMF’s cryogenic marinator perfectly bridges the gap between cryogenic processing of the raw materials and your meat forming equipment.
Benefits of a Cryogenic Marinator
The Challenge RMF cryogenic marinator accomplishes 3 distinct benefits for your product during meat processing:
- Our exclusive Meat-on-Meat Massage™ technology massages and marinates poultry, pork, and seafood without causing product degradation.
- The shorter drum (when compared to our non-cryogenic Challenge RMF meat massagers/marinators) disperses CO2/LN2 with greater efficiency and more consistent chilling across the batch.
- Our customizable options allow you to order a cryogenic marinator to spec, so that it performs all the functions you need for your cryogenic processing.
The flexible operation of the cryogenic marinator keeps you in easy control of all aspects of the process—including the ability to achieve programmed, repeatable results. Programmable logic controllers (PLC) with recording capabilities are available as an option.
Why cryogenic?
The only reason processors chill batches with cryogenic gas (liquid nitrogen or carbon dioxide gas) is to bring the batch temperature down to a level at which a former can work most effectively.
The key to performance demands that the cryogenic marinator chill product as quickly as possible while using as little gas as possible. The unique meat-on-meat massaging action inside a Challenge RMF cryogenic marinator integrates the gas quicker than a generic tumbler, shortening the cycle and requiring less gas.
How a Cryogenic Marinator Works
Though the technology and engineering are advanced, the operation is surprisingly simple.
- Place the product and additives into the cryogenic marinator.
- Set your length of time for vacuum massaging.
- When done, set the temperature you want for chilling, and begin the process.
- Once the target temperature is uniformly achieved, empty the cryogenic marinator so that the batch can be moved to the former.
After cryogenically chilling, the meat is not technically frozen. In most cases, it has reached 25 degrees. Common sense would say that the contents are frozen. However, because of the marinade’s salt content, it isn’t. Instead, the batch has a consistency almost like a thick slurry that doesn’t flow.
Your production line sends the batch to a former that forms meat patties, chicken breast shapes, chicken tender shapes, etc. The formed shapes can be frozen immediately, or cooked and then frozen. Either way, they’re ready for distribution.
Inside the Cryogenic Marinator Drum
Our cryogenic marinator (sometimes erroneously called a “cryogenic tumbler”) has an interior drum design that produces a gentle yet aggressive meat-on-meat marination. You set the custom marination/massaging time, and the Challenge RMF cryogenic marinator protects your product’s integrity while producing higher yields.
The high-performance steel drum increases throughput without compromising the quality of your product. It’s ideal for marinating poultry, red meats, pork, and even seafood.
Meat-on-Meat Massage™
This proprietary technology inside our cryogenic marinator handles meat products differently than industrial tumblers. Where tumblers use hydraulic shock to break up fibers, our meat massagers instead use custom-designed helical flights to move, fold, and massage the meat.
These flights ensure continuous movement of the muscles until the cycle is complete. The rolling action tenderizes the muscle tissue thoroughly. It also penetrates to the core of the muscles, activating intracellular proteins for molecular-level water binding. This process increases yield and enhances the juiciness of the final cryogenic processing product for your customers.
Vacuum Door
With the vacuum Door in place, your cryogenic marinator can act as a vacuum marinator. With optional equipment, you can decrease the internal pressure as the massaging motion ensues.
Added solutions—salts, marinades, etc.—penetrate the meat more effectively, improving yields while distributing flavors and salt levels more evenly throughout the muscle. This is a win-win for both the processor and the end user.
Cryogenic Door
After your designated massaging time has ended, the vacuum door can be opened and the cryogenic door closed. Now comes the rapid cooling process using the agent of your choice—CO2, or LN2. You can also choose to add a cooling jacket to the drum.
An optional hydraulically powered tilting frame enables homogeneous mixing of muscle
and CO2 or nitrogen for fast, uniform chilling and unloading of semi-frozen product.
You won’t find a better, more efficient industrial cryogenic marinator on the market.
The Advantage of Options
Your cryogenic marinator can be customized to suit your cryogenic processing line. You can choose from several options.
Drum Jacket
The jacket size will correspond to the drum size, fully wrapping the largest part of the body to allow propylene glycol chilling. This provides additional temperature control during the massaging cycle.
Hydraulically Powered Tilting Frame
For cryogenic processing, our tilt frame adds -14° to +7° tilting capabilities to the cryogenic marinator. This enables the homogeneous mixing of muscle and CO2 or nitrogen for fast, uniform chilling. Once at prime temperature, the tilting frame also delivers fast and thorough unloading of semi-frozen product.
Vacuum Loading
Through the installation and use of our optional vacuum loader, your operation can increase efficiency with our straight-through massager loader.
Drum Sizes
You can order your Challenge RMF cryogenic marinator in 4 sizes to get the job done.
- PM-1000 – 30 cubic foot working capacity
- PM-2000 – 70 cubic foot working capacity
- PM-3000 – 115 cubic foot working capacity
- PM-4000 – 125 cubic foot working capacity
Related topic: Rapid thermal meat processing without-product damage and loss.
A Word About Cooling Elements
Our cryogenic processing equipment works with 3 different coolants:
- CO2 (liquid carbon dioxide)
- LN2 (liquid nitrogen)
- Propylene glycol (for the jacket)
Both CO2 and LN2, comparatively speaking, do the same thing. They chill batches so that the meat product arrives ready for forming.
Availability
CO2 and LN2 prices and availability vary greatly throughout the United States. Because of this, the price and availability of the gasses determine which one a producer’s cryogenic processor uses.
Glycol Chilling for Massagers/Marinators
Glycol chilling works differently than the other 2 coolants. Most processors chill larger muscle products with glycol chilling via a jacket, because they require longer cycle times. This protective temperature control limits the frictional heat build-up within the meat mass during the massaging cycle.
Otherwise, heat build-up creates a threatening potential for microbial build-up, and lessens the product’s ability to bind with marinades/additives, thus reducing yield. Binding happens best at the 34°F to 38°F range.
Because of this, meat can warm surprisingly quickly during massaging. The optional chilling jacket works by circulating a mixture of glycol and water through a jacket which is welded onto the outside of the drum.
The system pumps this mixture into the jacket’s closed-loop system. Once circulated, the mixture discharges from the jacket and flows through a heat exchanger, which cools the mixture back down before it’s pumped back into the jacket.
Related topic: Our custom food processing equipment.
Revamp Your Line for Improved Performance
Challenge RMF offers several custom-engineered pieces of equipment to make your cryogenic chilling process even more successful from marination to former.
LD24 Dumper
Transfer raw materials from vats to marinators and massagers with our LD24 Dumper. It works to efficiently and effectively complete production tasks.
All Challenge RMF dumpers are custom engineered to work with your system, ensure enhanced reliability, and reduce yield loss.
Benefits of the LD24
- Actuation via hydraulic cylinders powered by the massager power pack
- Simple toggle switch control
- Reliable and long-lasting stainless steel construction
- Liquid retention chute for decreased drip loss
- Total design flexibility
Related topic: A deep-dive into the RMF vat dumper.
Vacuum Loader
Our RMF vacuum loader helps your facility increase efficiency through fast, straight-through cryogenic marinator loading. Our industrial vacuum loaders are custom engineered to ensure efficiency and reliability for your processing line.
Benefits of the RMF Vacuum Loader
- Accurate measurement of all ingredients
- Zero drip loss for improved yield
- Ability to load multiple massagers from 1 system
- Customizable hose/pipe diameters
Spiral Freezer
Once your product has gone through the former and is either fried and/or ready to be frozen, you have to get that temperature down quickly to preserve the product integrity.
We have uniquely designed industrial spiral freezers to quickly and efficiently freeze or chill products of all types. Each freezer is custom engineered to ensure reliability and seamless integration into your existing systems.
Benefits of a Spiral Freezer
- Dual horizontal airflow for reduced operating costs and dwell time
- Lowest fan horsepower usage in the industry
- Open cage design for improved accessibility, cleaning, and product observation
- Stainless steel construction components
- Choice of all-bolted construction or fully welded construction
A Cool Idea: Contact Us
Your cryogenic process can achieve maximum efficiency and improved product quality with a simple phone call. Give us a buzz at 816.765.4101, and let’s talk about your needs. You can also contact us online, or simply click on the Challenge RMF products that interest you to request a quote.
We look forward to being your partner for dependable solutions!
About Challenge RMF
For over 35 years, manufacturers and processors have relied on Challenge RMF for the longest-lasting meat processing equipment available. We’ve helped clients the world over, customizing and installing a vast number of products in an equally diverse number of situations.
From brand-new equipment to parts and service, we’re there when you want us and here when you need us. Come explore what’s possible, with Challenge RMF.
