Starfrost’s high-performance freezing technology powers new convenience line

The Happy Egg Company, the flagship brand of Noble Foods, has teamed up with Starfrost to introduce a new line of ready-to-cook, value-added omelettes.

Central to this collaboration are two of Starfrost’s state-of-the-art Helix Spiral Freezers, which are enabling Noble Foods to launch a new production line efficiently while maintaining the highest standards of product quality and consistency.

According to Pete Robertson, project and engineering manager at Noble Foods, the company’s move into convenience foods has been prompted by seeing increasing demand for more nutritious and protein-rich options that suit today’s fast-paced lifestyles.

“Moving into the pre-prepared food space was a natural progression,” Robertson noted. “Here at our new innovation and manufacturing site, our first products off the production line are frozen omelettes by the happy egg co., which is part of our new value-added pipeline.

Starfrost’s role in the expansion was driven by the company’s pursuit of the best options to meet its ambitions. Noble Foods hadn’t used automated freezing or chilling systems before, but knew it needed a system that would give it flexibility, reliability and efficiency.

“We found Starfrost to be a trusted name in the industry,” Robertson added. “Their equipment stood out for its durability, ease of use and the company’s commitment to long-term relationships and aftercare. That was crucial for us. The Helix Spiral Freezer ticked all the boxes.

Despite exploring liquid nitrogen freezing, Starfrost opted for mechanical freezing as the costs and supply logistics of nitrogen made it less viable.

Cryogenic freezing comes with volatile pricing and complex transport considerations, whereas mechanical freezing offered more stability and lower long-term costs.

Robertson explained: “After in-depth discussions with Starfrost, we were confident their mechanical freezing systems could achieve the same high-quality results with greater consistency.”

He considers the biggest win is consistency. The freezing process is extremely reliable, which ensures that product quality remains high.

“From an engineering standpoint, the system is intuitive and straightforward to operate, and it performs well under different production conditions,” he noted. “It’s also versatile — we can seamlessly switch between products or recipes, which gives us the flexibility we need as our added-value businesses grows.”

The partnership with Starfrost is seen as “just the beginning”. As the business grows, it knows it will need equipment that helps it evolve.

“Starfrost’s freezer systems provide that scalability,” Robertson made clear. “The HelixSpiral Freezer is future-proof — designed to handle greater capacity and accommodate alternative products as production ramps up. We’re excited for what the future holds, knowing we have Starfrost’s ongoing support.”