Food & Beverage

Since the first days of commercial refrigeration, industrial gases have played a major role in the food and beverage sector. Carbonation, another early use of industrial gas (carbon dioxide), remains in use today; in fact, carbonated beverages (soft drinks and beer) make up about 50% of total beverages manufactured or distributed in Ghana. Industrial gases are used in both food preservation and shipments: Argon is used in wine preservation (and other beverages); hydrogen is used in the hydrogenation of vegetable and animal oils; oxygen is used in transporting live seafood products; and liquid nitrogen is to freeze foods such as meat patties, shrimp and berries. As the field of molecular gastronomy has become increasingly mainstream, the use of liquid nitrogen has risen in restaurants, as a way to quickly freeze food and to add visual effects, such as vapor, in food presentations.