In the Food and Beverage industry various products require drying to ensure required shelf life. Food products require gentle drying to preserve the products original shape, color, taste & nutrients and for these applications freeze drying process is ideally suited. Some foods freeze dry very well, but not all food is suitable for freeze drying. Small fruits and vegetables can be easily freeze dried, whereas whole fruits and large vegetables would not be suitable, although they can be freeze dried if cut into small pieces first. This also applies to meat; small chunks of meat freeze dries well, but larger fillets need to be cut into pieces. Meat and seafood also require cooking before freeze drying. For some foods freeze drying is not cost-effective. Machinfabrik designs and manufactures freeze drying machines for sale worldwide. The process typical operating sequence of the freeze drying process is as follows:
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Freezing of the product and freeze hold.
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Cooling of ice condenser
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Evacuation
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Primary drying
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Secondary drying
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Coffee.
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Fruit & Juice.
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Vegetables.
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Meat.
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Fish & Seafood.
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Eggs.
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Dairy.
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For canned food where there is liquid and solid pieces.
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With freeze drying, foods and liquids can be dried at low temperatures without damaging their physical structure.
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Freeze-dried foods don’t need to be refrigerated or preserved with chemicals and can be reconstituted quickly and easily by adding water.
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Conventional drying methods also have a major disadvantage as the high temperatures used can cause chemical or physical changes. Changing the taste or texture of a food product could make it inedible or less palatable which would be very undesirable.
