The present invention generally relates to a process for chilling meat products suited for subsequent shape formation in a tumbler or blender using a cryogenic liquid as a refrigerant. The process is primarily designed for the formation of food products such as a burger patty and comprises the steps:(a) measuring the mass of meat to be chilled in said blender(b) measuring the mass of frozen meat to be added to said blender(c) calculating the amount of cryogenic liquid to be added to said blender to chill the mass of meat added to said blender in steps (a) and (b) to a preselected first temperature(d) increasing the calculated amount of cryogenic liquid to be added to said blender derived in step (c) by a predetermined constant as the size of the burger patty to be chilled decreases from a preselect standard and,(e) introducing the cryogenic liquid to said blender in staged or cycled increments.
