Pros and Cons of Ammonia versus Freon™

By Maggie Chung

On July 17th 2017 my peers Dielle Fernandez, Beatriz Michael, Paul Olabode, and I participated in the Produce Marketing Association (PMA) Career Pathways Program, where we got more insights into the produce industry.

Beatriz Michael, Dielle Fernandez, and Me at Frieda’s tour. Courtesy of Dr. Lilian Were

Frieda’s Inc. and Northgate Market let us tour their facilities. Each of these places had refrigerated areas to store their products and maintain their freshness until they were ready to be shipped. Frieda’s Inc. used FreonsTM (fluorocarbons) as their refrigerant while Northgate used ammonia. These gases were chosen according to their function, need, and preference of each company. When selecting the right refrigerant, a food company needs to consider several characteristics. They must have low boiling point, high latent heat of vaporization, dense vapor to reduce the pressure, size, cost of the compressor, low toxicity, not be flammable, barely miscible with oil, chemically stable, and low in cost. 

Source: Okumura J. 2016. Frieda’s Report Purple Produce is Trending. Available at: http://www.andnowuknow.com/bloom/friedas-reports-purple-produce-trending/jordan-okumura/48767#.WZPaFFGGPcc

Source: Northgate/LA Galaxy Ticket Offer. Available from: https://www.lagalaxy.com/northgate

Ammonia is the oldest and best known refrigerant. It is mostly used in industry settings rather than households, because it requires trained individuals to monitor it due to its toxicity and flammability. When used in small industries, the refrigerant is confined in a small space as a safety measure, in case there is a toxic leak of ammonia. Ammonia is widely used in the industry because it possesses many of the qualities necessary to be a good refrigerant such as its capability to transfer heat rapidly, and it is cost effective because of its energy efficiency. The thermodynamic properties of Ammonia allow efficient heat transfer in the refrigeration cycle that involves vapor compression. However, it is toxic, flammable, and incompatible with some alloys such as copper.

Source: Bradley D. 2012. Electric Ammonia. Available at: http://www.chemistryviews.org/details/news/2778521/Electride_Ammonia.html

FreonsTM is the trademark name for fluorocarbons manufactured by the Chemours company (previously known as Dupont). Popular types of FreonsTM are chlorofluorocarbons, CFC-11, CFC-12, and hydrofluorocarbons, and HCFC-22. Fluorocarbons are not toxic and not flammable, but they can damage the ozone layer. Another negative impact these types of refrigerants have on the environment is that fluorocarbons contribute to global warming, by trapping on earth sun rays that are meant to go back to space increasing the temperature on earth. According to Bhaktar and others (2013), because of damage to the ozone layer and effect fluorocarbons has on global warming, fluorocarbons are soon to be phased out.

Source: Reporter do frio. 2016. Novo Logotipo Facilita Identificacao dos Gases Freons. Available at: http://blogdofrio.com.br/novo-logotipo-freon-chemours/

As of 2017, it is difficult to find a refrigerant that has all the desired qualities. Ammonia being the oldest and the most used, is toxic and flammable but does not damage the ozone layer. On the other hand, fluorocarbons are not toxic and not flammable, but can damage the ozone layer contributing to global warming. Hence, companies like Northgate with big warehouses would benefit more by using Ammonia since it is more energy efficient. Frieda’s used to use ammonia as refrigerant, until there was a leak. We were told that since ammonia is attracted to water, it penetrated the produce in the storage turning the refrigerated products black. Ever since the accident, Frieda’s decided to switch to Freon.

During this even, we learned that there is no one specific gas that the produce industry prefers. Ammonia and Freons have their benefit and challenges, and it is up to the management to decide between the risks and benefits of each kind of refrigerant. Thanks to PMA we were able to learn and experience the rigorous hard work it takes to deliver fresh produce to the consumers. I wanted to thank PMA, Frieda’s, Northgate, Chapman’s faculty and mentors for the opportunity to learn about the produce industry, and connect with other students and professionals in the industry.

How to Feed a Hungry Mind With the Institute of Food Technologists

How to Feed a Hungry Mind with the Institute of Food Technologists

            Since it was founded in 1939, the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) has been an organization where food scientists could come together to share their research and findings and discuss new and innovative ideas to further the advances in the field of food science.  Every year, IFT holds a meeting where members from all over the world come to be updated on the latest trends, ideas, and groundbreaking research as well as expand their professional network.  This year, the IFT annual meeting (IFT17) was held in Las Vegas, NV at the Venetian Resort and Casino.  The meeting had a variety of activities that encourage membership engagement and the development of new ideas such as educational sessions, division mixers, leadership workshops, research posters, a variety of competitions, and an expo.

Of the activities offered at IFT17, many are specifically created for student members through the IFT student association (IFTSA).  The members of Chapman University’s food science program are highly active in IFTSA.  IFTSA always holds multiple student competitions at the annual IFT meeting such as the Disney Product Development Competition, IFTSA/MARS Product Development Competition, and last but not least, the College Bowl Competition.  College Bowl is a food science based trivia competition where schools from all across the nation form teams of four or more students and compete against each other.  The competition starts on a regional level with Chapman competing in the Pacific Southwest region.  We were extremely proud of Chapman’s team players Alexa Sarcona (team captain), Vyom Meta, Natalie Tom, Alyssa Hardy, and Costa Spyrou and their coach, Dr. Were, as they took home the gold in the regional competition.  This brought them to compete on the national level at IFT17.  After multiple rounds that kept us on the edge of our seat, our little university came home as 4^th in the entire nation!  We couldn’t be more proud!

Chapman University’s College Bowl Team comes in 4^th place in the nation.

But that was not our only accomplishment at IFT17.  We also had eight students present their research in either a poster presentation or an oral presentation.  Of those eight students, three (Natalie Tom, Tara Okuma, Shayna Bosko) were finalists in the student research competition.  Tara Okuma took 3^rd place in the Toxicology Division Competition with a cash prize of $500 and Shayna Bosko took home 1^st place in the Aquatic Foods Division Competition with a cash prize of $1,000!  Wow! 

Tara Okuma (left) takes 3^rd place in the toxicology division student research competition and Shayna Bosko (right) takes 1^st place in the aquatic foods division.

Our accomplishments at IFT17 did not stop at students.  We even had some of our very own professors take home some prestigious awards as well.  Dr. Rosalee Hellberg won the 2017 inaugural Emerging Leaders Network Award.  This award is given to candidates who demonstrate high potential for success in leadership roles and a strong commitment to their profession.  This is such an incredible achievement and there is no one more fitting for this award than Dr. Hellberg.  Dr. Lilian Were on the other hand was awarded the IFT Muscle Foods Division Outstanding Volunteer Award for service and exemplary leadership.

After all the hard work our students and professors put in this year to accomplish all that they did, we had to have a little fun too!  On the first night of the conference, Chapman’s food science program hosted a Chapman Food Science Alumni and Student Mixer.  This was a great opportunity for students, alumni, and professors to relax, reconnect, and even meet new people all while enjoying delicious food and drinks at the Tilted Kilt Pub and Eatery on the Las Vegas Strip.  Overall, we would say IFT17 was a great time with many accomplishments and learning experiences along the way.  We would especially like to thank Chapman University’s Schmid College of Science and Technology and the Southern California IFT section for providing travel grants to IFT for many of the Chapman food science students.  These organizations, by providing these grants, give students the opportunity to further their education and grow professionally.  If you are a student and want to attend IFT18 next year, these grants can be a great option for you as well!  IFT18 will take place in Chicago, IL from July 15^th-18^th, 2018 but until then, there are many ways to stay involved with IFT and IFTSA.  If you are wondering how to get involved or just want to learn more, check out the link below: http://www.ift.org/community/students.aspx.  We can’t wait until IFT18 and hope to see you there!