Freezing smarter: The trends shaping spiral freezing innovation

22 Sep 2026

For food manufacturers, freezing has always been about getting the fundamentals right: capacity, product quality, reliability, and uptime. But the list of priorities is growing.

Space is at a premium. Water and energy use are under closer scrutiny. And processors increasingly want equipment that can keep performing reliably for many years without pushing up the total cost of ownership.

These shifts are helping shape the latest developments in JBT Marel's Frigoscandia freezing portfolio, including a new generation of the self-stacking FRIGoBELT® NOVA+ conveyor for GYRoCOMPACT® spiral freezers.

So, what matters most to customers today? And what trends are influencing the next generation of spiral freezing technology?

Water moves up the agenda

Energy has long dominated discussions around sustainability in freezing, but water use is becoming a much bigger consideration. Persson sees this as one of the trends set to become increasingly important in the coming years.

"Capacity and operating time between defrosts are still the normal challenges," says Persson. "But utility consumption, and particularly water consumption, have come very high up on the agenda."

That puts greater focus on freezer designs that can simplify cleaning and help reduce resource use. Persson points to the self-stacking design of JBT Marel's Frigoscandia GYRoCOMPACT spiral freezers as one example.

"The design gives you fewer components to clean and very good accessibility to the critical components in the freezer," he explains.

For processors, that can make cleaning more straightforward while supporting more efficient use of water over the lifetime of the equipment.

Getting more capacity into existing spaces

Another trend influencing freezer design is the need to increase capacity without increasing the size of the facility. For many processors, simply building a bigger facility is not a realistic answer to growing production demands.

"Constructing new facilities is very costly, so a large proportion of the freezers we sell are intended for existing facilities," Persson explains.

That puts a premium on compact equipment. Spiral freezing naturally offers an advantage by carrying products vertically through the freezer rather than requiring a long linear footprint. The design of the Frigoscandia GYRoCOMPACT takes this further through its self-stacking belt.

"The inherent design of the GYRoCOMPACT spiral freezer means it is very space efficient, especially when it comes to the overall height of the freezer," says Persson.

For processors trying to increase capacity within the space they already have, those dimensions can make a significant difference.

A stronger belt for a longer working life

Longer equipment life and lower total cost of ownership are also becoming increasingly important considerations.

JBT Marel is introducing the Frigoscandia FRIGoBELT NOVA+, a new development of its self-stacking spiral freezer belt. The focus is not simply on handling heavier product loads, but on extending service life.

"The coming version of our world-renowned self-stacking FRIGoBELT conveyor addresses service life and thereby the total cost of ownership for a freezer over its service life," says Persson.

The reinforced belt design is engineered for greater durability and reliability, ensuring a significant increase in service life. For processors, a longer belt life can mean fewer replacements, less disruption, and a lower lifetime cost.

It also reflects a wider shift in how equipment investments are assessed: not just by the initial purchase, but by how reliably they perform year after year.

Total solutions beyond the freezer

With more than 60 years of freezing expertise, JBT Marel offers spiral, impingement, and IQF (individual quick freezing) solutions. Since JBT and Marel came together, that portfolio also sits within a much wider range of processing, packaging, software, and service solutions.

For processors, that means freezing can be integrated into a complete end-to-end line or supported as a standalone part of production, with long-term service, maintenance, and upgrades helping protect performance over its working life.

Looking toward 2027 and beyond, the focus remains firmly on practical gains: making better use of space and resources, extending equipment life, and keeping production running reliably.

Share this page:

News

Read more news

Login to get full access

Enter password to continue