Neves, DiogoGaspar, Pedro DinisSilva, Pedro Dinho daAndrade, Luís P.Nunes, José2019-10-232019-10-232014http://hdl.handle.net/10400.6/7341Food processing and conservation represent decisive factors for the sustainability of the planet given the significant growth of the world population in the last decades. Therefore, the cooling of any food product has been subject of study and improvement in order to ensure the food supply with good quality and safety. A computational tool for the assessment of the energy performance of cheese industries that use refrigeration systems was developed. It aims to promote the improvement of the energy efficiency of this industrial sector. The computational tool for analysis of the energy profile is based on a set of characteristic parameters used for the development of correlations, including the amount of raw material, annual electrical energy consumption and volume of cold stores. In this paper, the developed computational tool was applied to companies in the dairy sector, specifically to cheese industries, subdivided into industrial and handmade cheese. The results obtained help on the decision making of practice measures for the improvement of the energy efficiency.engFood processing - Food conservationjournal article