Apparatus and method for crust freezing

A method of freezing the bottom surface of a food product, comprising

• placing the food product onto the upper portion of a movable endless conveyor belt;
• moving the conveyor belt with the food product on the conveyor belt through an enclosure while applying cryogen in the enclosure to withdraw heat from the food product and from the belt and freeze the surface of the food product that is in contact with the top surface of the belt without freezing said surface of the food product to the top surface of the belt;
• wherein the belt has edges oriented in the direction of movement of the belt, said upper portion having a top surface and a bottom surface, wherein the belt is comprised of separate plates each of which is a unitary piece of metal having a thermal conductivity of 2.5 Btu/(Hr-Ft-F)] to 15 [Btu/(Hr-Ft-F)] and a heat capacity of 0.02 Btu/(Lb-F) to 0.19 Btu/(Lb-F) and each of which extends across the belt from one of its edges to the other edge, wherein each plate has a top surface and a bottom surface, and the top surfaces of said plates form together said top surface of the belt;
• wherein at least 90% of the surface area of the food product that is within the outermost circumference of the food product which is in contact with the top surface of the conveyor belt is in contact with said top surface of one or more of said plates;
• and
• wherein said belt has a conduction cooling factor of 1 pound per square foot to 5 pounds per square foot.