Freeze-dried food: a revolutionary choice for human and animal nutrition and health

1. The benefits of freeze-dried food to humans

Freeze-dried food provides many health and convenience advantages for humans. In terms of nutrient retention, freeze-drying technology is particularly suitable for preserving active ingredients in fruits, vegetables and medicinal and edible plants. For example, studies have shown that freeze-dried strawberries retain more than 92% of their vitamin C content, while hot air dried products retain less than 40%. Similarly, the retention rate of carotenoids and polyphenols in freeze-dried vegetables is significantly higher than other processing methods, providing modern people with an effective way to easily obtain phytonutrients.

Portability and storage convenience are another important advantage of freeze-dried foods. The 70-90% weight reduction and no need for refrigeration make freeze-dried foods ideal for outdoor sports, emergency reserves and long-distance travel. In terms of special environment applications, freeze-drying technology has become a standard for astronaut diets and polar expeditions. NASA research shows that freeze-dried foods can remain stable in the space environment for up to five years while meeting the high nutritional needs of astronauts. In addition, freeze-drying technology has made an important contribution to reducing global food waste and lowering carbon footprint by extending the shelf life of food and reducing transportation weight.

2. Benefits of freeze-dried food for animals

Freeze-drying technology also shows significant advantages in the field of animal nutrition. For pet food, the freeze-drying process retains more natural nutrients and flavor substances in the raw materials, greatly improving the palatability of the food. Veterinary nutrition research shows that the bioavailability of protein in freeze-dried pet food is 15-20% higher than that of high-temperature processed products, which is particularly important for muscle maintenance and overall health of pets. At the same time, the freeze-drying process does not require the addition of a large amount of preservatives, reducing the risk of pets ingesting chemical additives.

3. Conclusion

As a revolutionary technology, freeze-dried food provides innovative solutions for the nutritional health of humans and animals. Through the low-temperature dehydration process, freeze-drying technology maximizes the retention of food nutrients, flavor and texture, while achieving long-term storage and convenient transportation. For humans, it provides nutritious and portable food options and reduces food waste; for animals, it improves the nutritional value and palatability of feed. Despite challenges such as cost and energy consumption, with technological advances and improved market awareness, freeze-dried food is expected to play an important role in more areas and make greater contributions to global food sustainable development and health.