Messer Americas launches KwikChiller to tackle CO2 supply chain concerns

Messer Americas has unveiled a new nitrogen chilling solution for fresh poultry, the KwikChiller, in response to growing concerns related to carbon dioxide (CO2) supply chain issues.

Offering a strong alternative to CO2 solutions on the market today, the KwikChiller nitrogen-based system has already achieved an 85% reduction in purge loss at a poultry processing facility in the US.

The industrial gas specialist’s product achieves nitrogen chilling with an integrated exhaust to enable uniform temperature control for a ready-to-ship product.

Don Smiley, Director of Food and Beverage at Messer, notes that manually shovelling CO2 pellets has long been an industry standard for chilling fresh poultry in second processing.

“Our poultry customers have been seeking an alternative technology to enhance yield, improve temperature control, and alleviate CO2 safety and supply chain concerns.”

Chilling poultry in processing facilities helps to ensure food safety, product quality, and compliance with regulations. Importantly, it prevents bacterial growth, keeps products fresh, and extends shelf life.

CO2 has traditionally been used as a solution for chilling poultry; however, recent strains in the supply chain and sequestration, which is now being favoured by government credits, are prompting companies to seek alternatives.

Speaking at gasworld’s North American CO2 Summit in Nashville in September, Maura Garvey, President of Intelligas Consulting, highlighted that CO2 demand has risen by an average of 0.8% annually over the past decade. However, she projected that this growth rate would accelerate to 2% per annum over the next five years.

Taking this projected demand into account, Garvey stressed that the equivalent of five 300-tonnes-per-day plants would need to come onstream within that period to meet rising demand.

This does not factor in the additional capacity required to replace lost production or to account for CO2 diverted for sequestration.

Read more: CO2 Summit: carbon dioxide sources need to be added more quickly to 2029 ­– Garvey

Garvey said the main driver for demand growth in the market was coming from dry ice, with the use of dry ice for blast-cleaning being the application seeing the fastest uplift, so Messer’s alternative comes at a pivotal time for the food and beverage market.

Messer will present the KwikChiller will be presented in an exclusive innovation suite at the 2025 International Production & Processing Expo (IPPE) in Atlanta.