Acoustic Extra Freezing - We Sell End Results - Quality and Volume of Frozen Products!

In a world where quality and efficiency are key, AEF Technologies, led by CEO Dmitriy Balabolin, is reshaping the future of food preservation with its innovative Acoustic Extra Freezing (AEF) technology. This cutting-edge approach uses crystal growth techniques to enable nano-crystallization of ice, allowing food to be stored longer without compromising taste, texture, or nutritional value. AEF's ability to preserve the integrity of food, prevent protein dehydration, and extend shelf life has been proven through extensive scientific research. This breakthrough technology not only enhances freezing efficiency but also ensures the safe transport of food products worldwide. In this interview with Delivery Rank, Dmitriy Balabolin shares the story behind AEF, its impact on the global food industry, and how it is transforming the way we think about food storage. Join us as we explore the future of food freezing and the potential of AEF technology.

AEF technology is rooted in crystal growth principles from other industries—can you share the journey of how these principles were adapted for use in food preservation?

Indeed, acoustic freezing is based on existing industrial technologies. There are established methods for growing monocrystals of maximum size, such as silicon wafers, synthetic diamonds, or rubies. However, the production of large crystals faces specific challenges that hinder the process.

Conversely, other technologies aim to produce extremely fine crystals—for example, in train wheels or automotive engine blocks.

From the first category (large-crystal production), we adopted all the known obstacles that inhibit crystal growth. From the second (fine-crystal applications), we borrowed techniques to generate numerous small crystals.

My background in crystal growth for the electronics industry significantly helped adapt these industrial technologies to food freezing.

Beyond crystal size, there are additional factors affecting food preservation. We’ve identified five such factors to date, but these remain proprietary—they result from confidential scientific research.

What role does acoustic energy play in facilitating nano-crystallization, and how does this differ from conventional freezing methods on a molecular level?

Acoustic oscillations synchronize ice crystal sizes with the wavelength of the acoustic wave. By creating wave combinations, we can simultaneously control multiple processes during water crystal formation in food products.

For example:

Crystal shape: During uncontrolled freezing (at any speed), crystals typically form needle-like structures. Our technology modifies this morphology.

Crystal size distribution: Naturally, some crystals grow larger while others remain small as they compete during growth. This competition can also be regulated.

Additionally, other factors that are inherently random in conventional freezing become fully controllable with our method – we eliminate variability entirely.

From a biochemical standpoint, how does AEF technology prevent dehydration of proteins, and why is this significant for maintaining nutritional integrity?

Protein dehydration invariably occurs during uncontrolled freezing processes. Notably, freezing speed has minimal impact on this phenomenon - even with accelerated freezing rates, dehydration reduction remains marginal.

Through extensive research, we've quantified this effect with precise experimental data.

Without delving into the chemical intricacies, the core mechanism involves impurity expulsion during crystal formation. In biological colloidal systems, freezing crystals eject salt ions. These displaced salts concentrate in the remaining unfrozen colloidal portions, progressively increasing salinity and inducing protein dehydration.

Our technological breakthrough achieves over 10-fold reduction in this detrimental effect.

Which sectors within the food industry—such as seafood, premium meats, or pharmaceuticals—are currently benefiting most from AEF, and why?

Our freezing technology is most in demand where conventional freezing shows poor results.

Seafood is an important product for freezing. If you want truly fresh seafood, the only place to get it is a coastal restaurant serving fish from today's catch. When attempting to freeze seafood using conventional methods, it loses taste and juiciness. Delivery to consumers in refrigerated form takes several days, during which quality significantly deteriorates. We can freeze fish and seafood and store it for a year or more, with complete restoration of original quality upon thawing.

Of course, these claims are supported by numerous independent scientific and commercial validations.

Today, frozen ready-made meals are becoming increasingly popular. In some cases, acoustic freezing even improves the taste of dishes. This taste enhancement/amplification is a side effect of acoustic treatment, and we can control its intensity.

There's a misconception that acoustic freezing is only suitable for premium products due to high cost. But this is precisely a misconception. Acoustic freezing is significantly more efficient than conventional methods—for example, a standard freezing chamber is about 40% less productive than an acoustic one. Therefore, the price difference is often negligible.

When it comes to premium products, like 21-day dry-aged meat, acoustic freezing can maintain its aged quality for a year or more.

There's a fundamental difference in how shelf life is assessed between conventional and acoustic freezing:

With conventional freezing, "shelf life" means the period after which the product becomes unfit for consumption.

With acoustic freezing, "shelf life" means the period during which the product's quality at the end matches its initial quality.

Looking ahead, how do you envision AEF technology shaping the future of food preservation, and are there any adjacent industries you’re exploring for its application?

In the future, people will increasingly consume ready-made frozen meals and cook less at home. Frozen food will simply come in different quality tiers - from everyday options to premium restaurant-grade dishes.

We anticipate that acoustically frozen ready meals will gradually dominate the market.

The next logical step involves thawing technology and smart microwave ovens - which we've already begun developing. Our COOKLY smart microwaves eliminate all complexities of thawing and reheating frozen meals, handling everything automatically.

Medical Applications

Other applications of acoustic freezing include:

Tissue and organ preservation for transplants

Eliminating the need for liquid nitrogen in freezing processes

Dramatically reducing cryoprotectant quantities (most of which are toxic to tissues)

While we can't yet guarantee future success in freezing transplantable organs, our frozen samples already show histological sections remarkably similar to living tissue.

To read more about Acoustic Extra Freezing, please visit https://www.aeftrade.eu/