Plate freezing is a method of freezing food by pressing it between hollow metal plates through which refrigerant circulates, producing uniform blocks that are energy-efficient and suited to further processing.
In trade practice
Suppliers use plate freezers to produce spinach blocks, fruit blocks for puree, and fish portions where a consistent brick shape aids downstream processing. QA teams check block weight, core temperature and absence of voids before palletising. The method is not appropriate where buyers require individually separated, free-flowing pieces, and specifying plate-frozen product when IQF is needed is a common sourcing error.
In a specification
A purchase specification should state ‘plate-frozen block’ alongside target block weight, maximum core temperature at despatch, and whether the format is acceptable for the intended end use.