Freeze-Dried Food

What is Freeze Drying

Freeze-drying is a method of preservation that makes use of the physical principle known as sublimation.

It's a water removal process which involves freezing the product, lowering the pressure to allow the ice (frozen water) in the product to change directly to a vapor (sublimate).

This is different to dehydration by most conventional methods that use heat to evaporate the water.

Freeze-drying is one of the most desirable way of preserving food because at low temperatures chemical reactions take place very slowly and pathogens have difficulty surviving.

Freeze-drying is a method of preservation that makes use of the physical principle known as sublimation.

It's a water removal process which involves freezing the product, lowering the pressure to allow the ice (frozen water) in the product to change directly to a vapor (sublimate).

This is different to dehydration by most conventional methods that use heat to evaporate the water.

Freeze-drying is one of the most desirable way of preserving food because at low temperatures chemical reactions take place very slowly and pathogens have difficulty surviving.

Fact
Due to the use of the low temperature in the Freeze-Drying process, the quality of the product is excellent, and the original shape is maintained.

Why Choose Freeze-Dried Foods

Freeze-dried foods are closest to their natural composition with respect to structure and chemistry, ensuring essential vitamins and nutrients are maintained.

Taste and Appearance: Freeze dried products taste and look almost like fresh products. Freeze drying does not cause the food to shrink or harden, rather, it preserves its aroma, shape, and flavour. Once rehydrated, they are the same as their fresh counterparts.

Nutrition Values: During the freeze drying process, freeze-dried products retain approximately 95% or more of their nutrients. Other methods, such as dehydration or air drying, retain less than 60% of the nutritional value of the food because the heat applied during these processes, break down most of the vitamins and minerals.

Shelf Life: The shelf life of freeze dried products is extremely long. It has a shelf life of 15 to 25 years when properly stored/unopened. Even after this time, the products will be safe to eat, with the same flavour and nutritional value as the day they were freeze dried compared to dehydrated or air-dried methods of preservation.

Bit of History

The origins of freeze drying can be traced back to the 15th century, when the Inca civilization used a primitive form of freeze drying. Their crops were stored on the mountain peaks above Machu Picchu, where the cold mountain temperatures froze their food supplies and the water inside slowly vaporised due to the low air pressure at such high altitudes.