Refrigeration technology: Indispensable at the exhibition center

From chip production to hospitals, organ transport, offices, and train compartments: there is hardly any area of life where refrigeration technology is not used. It is essential for food, and guests and employees at the Nuremberg Exhibition Center appreciate its quality and freshness.

Written by Reinhold Gebhart

EN A large metal bucket filled with ice cubes stands on a counter, containing several green beer bottles with red labels. In the foreground on the left, a person wearing a white shirt and gray apron pours a drink into a glass. In the background, there are more glasses and bottles on the counter, behind which several people in business attire are chatting. The surroundings are bright, with yellow walls and modern furnishings.

When employees queue up at the company restaurant to get their meals, they can rely on a wide selection of hot and cold dishes and chilled drinks every day. “This is guaranteed by a process chain that passes through a wide variety of cooling zones – from the delivery of raw materials to the serving of food,” says Holger Zimmermann, Food & Beverage Manager at Nuremberg trade fair caterer Lehrieder.
The goods arrive at the exhibition center in transport vehicles cooled to 2–4 degrees Celsius (minus 18 degrees for frozen products) with quick-release doors, constantly monitored by a temperature data logger. There, they are immediately transferred to the refrigerated and frozen storage areas – separate zones for meat, fish, dairy products, vegetables, and frozen products – while speed-controlled compressors help to reduce energy costs. The prepared products are then temporarily stored in the refrigerated cabinets of the production kitchen (mise en place), under-counter coolers, refrigerated display cases, and saladettes for fruit and vegetables.

Energy optimization through central cooling monitoring

“Central control of all cooling units, including alarm management in the event of temperature deviations, ensures safety and energy optimization,” says Holger Zimmermann. This also applies to the blast chiller, in which food is cooled from 90 to 3 degrees Celsius after cooking to preserve it before it is stored in the Cook & Chill cold rooms at 0–3 degrees until it is served. Finally, a last short intermediate cooling takes place in the front cooking area during serving in refrigerated display cases, salad stations, and beverage coolers.
But that's not the end of the cold chain: leftover food is also temporarily stored in separate containers in the disposal cold room before being disposed of.

A hand holds a digital infrared thermometer over an open cardboard box on a red transport trolley. The display shows a temperature of -12.6 degrees Celsius. Inside the box is a package of food, partially visible. Next to it are more closed boxes. The scene takes place in a bright storage area with a tiled floor. — Temperature control is key to a secure cold chain – from goods receipt to dispensing.

A functioning cold chain right up to the exhibitor stand

A cool drink, a delicious sandwich, or a fresh piece of cake can also make all the difference at exhibitor stands and in get-together areas at events. A functioning process chain is also essential here, says Thomas Domani, Managing Director at Lehrieder: “We transport drinks and food to the various areas pre-cooled and, depending on the event, use refrigerators on site to ensure the cold chain.”
Food is subject to certain tolerance limits, and its core temperature must be checked with every delivery before it is stored in cold stores or deep-freeze rooms. To save energy, Lehrieder only switches on more than two-thirds of its cooling capacity as needed. In addition, the caterer relies on state-of-the-art cooling options to further reduce energy consumption.

“Small energy transition” in commercial kitchens

A “small energy transition” is imminent for the two commercial kitchens at NürnbergMesse due to the EU's new F-gas regulation on fluorinated greenhouse gases. It is intended to help reduce emissions by increasingly restricting the use of synthetic refrigeration systems. “That's why we are currently planning to convert the exhibition grounds and, as far as possible, use natural refrigerants in the area of small-scale refrigeration technology for supplying refrigerated shelves, display cases, and cold stores,” says Yvo Meisel from the Soda Group, who is responsible for kitchen planning and refrigeration technology specifications.

Refrigeration technology at every turn

Refrigeration technology can be found everywhere on the exhibition grounds. It is visible in the form of refrigerated display cases, ceiling and wall cooling units, and split units, which can be used to cool rooms as needed. It is also hidden away: refrigeration machines, cold rooms, degassing and replenishment units, expansion tanks, and server cooling, which ensures that everything runs smoothly. In total, there are over 500 rooms and devices at the exhibition center that use refrigeration technology.

A man wearing a white chef's jacket and black cap places packaged baked goods in a glass refrigerated display case. There are more packaged products on the tray in his hand. Several dessert glasses and price tags are visible in the display, including “Dessert in a glass” and “Pretzel with toppings.” The surroundings are bright and modern, with stainless steel and glass surfaces. — Freshness right up to the last step: refrigerated products at the checkout guarantee taste and safety.

Learning from the best: CHILLVENTA, the world's leading trade fair

In order to achieve the “great energy transition” at the exhibition center, NürnbergMesse has been relying for some time now on its large-scale photovoltaic system on the hall roofs, which consists of around 21,000 modules that are monitored and maintained by drones. Among other things, this is intended to lead refrigeration technology into a low-emission future.
Those responsible for the site technology can learn from experts from all over the world – without having to travel. Every two years, the who's who of the industry from manufacturing, plant engineering, trade, the press, associations, research, and universities come together at the exhibition center for CHILLVENTA, the world's leading trade fair for refrigeration, air conditioning, and heat pump technology.

Author

Reinhold Gebhart

Online-Redaktion // Editor for Vincentz Network