Freezing fish preserves its freshness and facilitates handling. Thawing, however, has always taken time. Traditional methods such as air-tempering in chilling rooms or sawing frozen blocks at around -20°C come with drawbacks, such as prolonged processing, significant drip losses, increased microbial risk and degraded texture or flavour. Conventional thawing methods rely on slow heat transfer via air or surface contact.
To quantify the potential financial losses, drip losses or exudates can be up to 8% of the product weight. SAIREM offers a viable alternative, based on electromagnetic science.
SAIREM’s solutions bring the thawing process into the atomic realm. By employing radio-frequency (RF) electromagnetic energy – specifically, two 50-kW RF tunnels – fish blocks can be tempered from -20°C to -1°C in just six minutes. RF waves create an alternating electric field, causing water molecules to rotate and generate heat uniformly throughout the block (known as “volumetric heating”), which is much faster than using conduction or convection heat.
This shift answers multiple pressing customer needs. Yield is preserved by switching from sawing at freezer temperatures to slicing, after RF tempering reduces drip loss. Thanks to its swift, controllable nature, achieving a ton per hour thawing capacity, while maintaining flexibility in the production line, is now possible.
The technology enables maintenance of a uniform temperature, which preserves texture, flavour and moisture, essential for delicate fish products. Because energy is deposited directly into the product with minimal loss, RF tempering is much more energy efficient compared with traditional thawing methods.
Since 1978, SAIREM has invested heavily in innovation, mastering both RF and microwave technology, and has more than 5,000 units operating across 70 countries – testament to its industrial leadership. In the UK and Ireland, SAIREM’s sophisticated systems are made available through Interfood Technology. Known for delivering best-in-class processing and packaging equipment and servicing sectors such as meat, fish, plant-based and more, Interfood became SAIREM’s UK & Ireland distributor, enriching the region’s access to advanced tempering innovations.
Across product categories such as meat, vegetables, dairy, butter and fruits, SAIREM systems consistently reduce thawing from hours or days to mere minutes, virtually eliminating drip loss, enhancing safety and protecting product integrity. UK producers can now harness this leap – not just to thaw fish, but to reimagine efficiency in their workflows.
For more information, contact Sam Crooks at Interfood: scrooks@interfoodtechnology.com
