Freeze-drying is a highly effective, healthy process for preserving high-quality foods. This process has a rich ancient story that we believe our beloved customers or readers would be interested in learning.
In the blog below, we delve into how freeze-dried food came to be and its current place in the global market. So, take a look below to find out all you need to know about why freeze-dried food is such an innovative and excellent option for preserved, easily prepared meals!
The History of Freeze-Dried Food
Freeze drying was invented by Jacques-Arsène d’Arsonval at the Collège de France in Paris in 1906. During World War II, freeze-drying was widely used to preserve blood serum. Since then, freeze-drying food has emerged as one of the most vital food preservation processes for heat-sensitive biological materials.
During the 1950s, industrial freeze-drying of foods became popular. And now, freeze-drying is currently used as a preservation method for foods such as ready-to-eat meals for camping, pharmaceuticals, and a large range of other products.
Freeze Dried Food In Today’s Food Market
The global freeze-dried product market was valued at £33.7 billion in 2024 and is expected to grow from £36.49 billion in 2025 to £69.19 billion by 2033 at a compound annual growth rate of 8.3% during the 2026-2033 forecast period. The continued dependence on freeze-dried food as a practical food source is, as a result, incredibly clear.
The primary factor driving the freeze-dried food market is the exceptional quality of freeze-dried food products compared to other drying technologies, due to their superior texture and sensory quality after rehydration. Other factors contributing to the global freeze-dried food market include the expanding preserved food market, growing urbanisation, and the convenience for customers. The final product has an excellent shelf life (up to 25 years) without any added preservatives.
Their extended shelf life makes them profitable throughout the supply chain. Moreover, the ingredients retain their original shape while remaining lightweight and compact, making freeze-dried food brilliantly convenient for transportation. In developed regions such as North America and Europe, the use of freeze-dried ingredients in healthy snack items is growing rapidly, which is another major driver of the market.
Technological advances in freeze-dried products, to explore superfoods such as beetroot and elderberry, are the future spotlight of the market. The growing demand for additive-free and natural products is providing a good opportunity for the freeze-dried food market. In eastern regions, there is a growing demand for traditional products such as miso soup in Japan and instant foods.
How Does Freeze-Dried Food Work?
'Lyophilisation' is the technical term for 'freeze-drying', which is the process by which the solvent (usually water) and/or suspension medium is crystallised at low temperature and removed by sublimation. Sublimation is the direct transition of water from the solid state to the gaseous state without melting.
There are generally three stages in the freeze-drying process: freezing, sublimation drying, and desorption drying.
Freezing
The freezing phase is the most important stage in the freeze-drying process. It’s critical to freeze foods rapidly to avoid the formation of large ice crystals, which degrade final product quality.
Sublimation Drying
During the primary drying phase, the pressure is lowered by applying a high vacuum, and heat is supplied to provide the energy required for ice to sublimate. This initial drying phase removes about 95% of the water present in the food. This slow step can take anywhere from several hours to two days. Application of too much heat during this phase could result in a loss of final product quality.
Another component of the primary drying process is condensation of the sublimed water vapour. Sublimation accounts for about 45% of the total energy consumption for the process, while application of vacuum and condensation each represent about 25% of the total energy consumption.
Desorption Drying
A secondary drying phase is then needed to remove unfrozen water molecules remaining after primary drying. During this phase, the temperature is raised higher than in the primary drying phase in order to vaporise the water molecules. Pressure is frequently lowered during this phase, but not in all cases.
The final freeze-dried food typically contains between 1% and 4% moisture. Final food products are sealed and packed in specialist bags or cans, depending on the brand. They can be stored between 6 months and 5 years in the bags and 25 years or longer in cans.
Why Is It Called Freeze-Dried?
The term “freeze-dried” is used to describe this type of food, as it refers to the process of how these meals are prepared. The process involves first freezing a food substance, then reducing pressure, applying heat, and drying the food to allow the frozen water to skip the liquid phase and turn directly into vapour.
Is Freeze-Dried Food Healthy?
Freeze-dried foods are almost as nutritious as they are in their original form, making them healthy meal choices while on the move. The freeze-drying process preserves between 70% and 90% of its original nutrients, with only a small amount lost. For this reason, they’re the ideal choice for preserved food, as they can provide a good source of healthy sustenance while requiring no preservatives.
Freeze-Dried Food vs Dehydrated
Freeze-dried foods offer improved quality compared to other methods. The high quality is due to the absence of a liquid phase, as well as the low temperature of the process. In comparison, some dehydrated foods are created using high heat and airflow to remove moisture through evaporation. However, this can alter the food’s taste, texture, and nutritional profile.
Freeze-drying preserves flavour, colour, and appearance while minimising thermal damage to heat-sensitive nutrients. In addition, the texture is well preserved due to the process occurring in the solid state. Freeze-dried products are typically crisper and have rehydration ratios four to six times higher than conventional air-dried foods.
Its various other key benefits of freeze-drying include the high recovery of volatiles, retention of structure and surface area, high yield, long shelf life, and reduced weight for storage, shipping, and handling.
To summarise, the process of producing freeze-dried food often makes it a preferable option compared to some dehydrated food in terms of overall quality. However, the process of creating dehydrated food is much simpler, so dehydrated meals are often cheaper than freeze-dried foods. Therefore, they can be preferred if cost-effectiveness is prioritised over flavour and nutrition.
Freeze-Dried Food at Base Camp Food
Now that you know all about the history of freeze-dried food, its future within the global market, and how it works, you can explore our range of freeze-dried food knowing why it's such a practical option for camping meals that you can prepare anywhere and everywhere!
In our collection of freeze-dried meals, you can find many delicious options for everything from camping breakfast foods to camping desserts. Each of these is easily prepared with just a little water and heat, for delicious meals that are ready to eat in an instant.
If you’d like to know anything more about our freeze-dried meals or any of our other camping meals and products, get in touch with us today. We’ll be happy to help you with any queries that you may have.