Like many other food preservation techniques, freeze-drying was discovered by accident. It is thought to have first been used by the Incas, who noticed that food stored at high altitudes would freeze and then dehydrate over time. The process was refined during World War II when it was used to preserve blood products and medicine, but it was NASA that turned the process into a modern technology blueprint that can be used to churn out extremely lightweight, nutrition rich and shelf-stable, fresh food for astronauts. It was gradually passed on from the astronauts to army, and hikers, all of whom aim to carry food that is low in weight and high in nutrition. This method has been replicated and refined for modern use of creating shelf-stable products. Today, freeze dried food retains flavour and nutritional value better than food dried by any other drying methods, giving you a perfect balance of whole food nutrition and airy, light and crunchy taste.
The Process
Freeze-drying is the removal of water from a frozen product using a process called sublimation. Sublimation occurs when a frozen liquid transforms directly to a gaseous state without passing back through the liquid phase. This removes all moisture while keeping the original flavour and nutrition intact. The lower the moisture content in a food product, the longer the shelf life. Freeze-drying removes about 98-99% of the total moisture. The entire process of freeze-drying consists of three phases: prefreezing, primary drying, and secondary drying. After being processed, freeze-dried products are packaged in airtight, moisture-proof packaging to maintain freshness.
Advantages of Freeze Dried Products
- Freeze dried products retain their original size, color, shape, taste, texture and nutrients with bare minimum damage of cells.
- Extremely lightweight and travel-friendly as the weight is reduced by 70-90 percent of the original product.
- Keeps 70-75 percent of the nutritional value intact.
- Offers a shelf life of upto 25-30 years, if stored under ideal conditions.
- Offers highest quality in a dry product compared to other drying methods.
Applications of Freeze Dried
Best used in instant products, cereals, granolas, soups, salads, seasoning, dips, baked goods, snacks, trail mixes, smoothies, as a topping, eaten plain, or in emergency food supplies, freeze dried products are a crispy, dried and flavoursome version of your favourite food.
The veg atta maggi that we all love contains freeze dried vegetables. The oregano seasonings we count on the most for a flavorful pizza treat, is only made possible because of the freeze drying process. It is this process that keeps the seasoning formula fresh and zesty even after years.
The Flex Foods Advantage
When you choose Flex foods as your sourcing partner, you are placing trust on pure quality and real goodness. Our commitment to freshness and original flavour is carried from field to finish. We first try to understand what your unique application demands, aligning your expectations with ours, and only when both of us are on board, we move to the execution stage. This is because we understand that each product has a unique purpose and thus a unique need.
Flex Foods is the largest freeze dried food manufacturers in India. We offer products ranging from freeze dried herbs, fruits, vegetables and even mushrooms under this category.
Fruits include papaya, strawberry, mango, banana, pineapple, chikoo and apple.
Freeze dried herbs consist of oregano, basil, parsley, thyme, sage, mint, cilantro, dill, marjoram, savory, chervil, chives, curry leaves, fennel, lemon grass, rose mary and thai basil.
Vegetable range includes sweet corn, green peas, carrot, cabbage, cauliflower, potato, sweet corn powder, broccoli, french beans, garlic, ginger, okra, pumpkin, red onion, spinach, spring onion, white onion and sweet potato.
Some of these offerings demand a cool European kind of climate, which in India is possible only at the Himalayas. Our strategic location and fine techniques enable us to deliver essential as well as special ingredients, all around the year. This is what sets us apart from the rest.
You can visit us at www.flexfoodsltd.com/freeze-dried for more information on our products.
