To develop a successful cook-chill product, food technologists need to have:

1. a good knowledge of the raw ingredients
2. an understanding of the cook -chill process

Cook chill products are often thought to be of a better quality than frozen products because the nutrients are not destroyed and there is very little change in flavour, colour, texture or shape. They have a shorter shelf life (usually a few days) but they do not need to be defrosted first. Frozen products can be stored for much longer (usually several months) but often need to be thawed fully before being cooked and they also tend to lose some of their original flavour.

Cook chill products are prepared, cooked and chilled rapidly. They are stored at a temperature just above 0c and need to stay at or below this temperature until they are used. This slows down the rate by which micro-organisms multiply and the rate of any chemical reactions which could affect the quality of the food.

For more information go to: www.chilledfood.org    www.nutrifresh.com.au