System and method for cryogenic enhancement to mechanical freezers

A cryogenic enhanced mechanical freezer system and method are provided. The disclosed system includes a mechanical freezer compartment (12) adapted for freezing food products on a conveyor, a cryogen injection system (21, 24, 25) adapted to directly inject cryogen into a shrouded zone proximate the conveyor in the mechanical freezer compartment, an exhaust system (37) adapted to rapidly evacuate cryogen vapors from the freezer compartment (12); and a freezer control system (42) adapted to operative Iy control the exhaust system and cryogen injection system (24, 25) in response to selected inputs so as to not adversely affect the mechanical refrigeration capacity associated with the mechanical freezer. The selected inputs may include user inputs as well as inputs received from one or more temperature sensors (44) disposed in the freezer compartment and a gas analyzer adapted to monitor concentrations of selected gases within the freezer compartment (12). Access to the freezer compartment is prevented using a d