Process and apparatus for the preparation and conservation of products such as food and/or biological products

The procedure consists of at least one stage (2, 3) in which a foodstuff or biological product containing free water is cooled in a vacuum, during which the evaporation of the free water leads to a lowering of the product's temperature, after which it can be pre-frozen or completely frozen to a temperature of -18 degrees C. During the second cooling stage (3) the product can be atomised by a spray to facilitate the removal of free water and reduce the processing time, and between the cooling and freezing (6) stages the foodstuff can go through stages (4, 5) in which frozen morsels or ingredients are added to it, or in which it is shaped. The installation used for the process can have a cooling chamber or a tunnel with a conveyor belt for evaporating the free water content.