Besides creating a visually stunning spectacle, like when a frost-covered meadow steams at sunrise on a cold morning, this natural process allows us to preserve the taste, aroma, structure, and about 95% of the original nutrients of fresh food, making it last for years without any preservatives.

Then, under a vacuum, a gentle rise in temperature just above 0°C causes the ice to evaporate, moving from its solid state directly into a gas state. This process, called sublimation, removes nearly 98% of the moisture content without degrading even the most fragile nutrients like vitamins and minerals. After this, your strawberry will smell the same, look the same, and taste the same, but now it will be ultralight and last for years.

Nowadays, lyophilization is a fully developed industrial technology widely used in the food sector for preserving perishable products such as fruits, vegetables, herbs, meats, and dairy products. It is also used for producing supplements and functional foods, premium culinary ingredients, baby food, pet food, and a broad range of convenience foods, including outdoor meals. Not to mention long-term emergency supplies and military rations, which were the primary reason this technology advanced so rapidly after WWII.

Freeze-drying delivers maximal retention of original fresh food nutrients compared to other food preservation drying techniques. Since the entire process occurs at low temperatures and in an oxygen-free environment (under vacuum), freeze-drying preserves even the most fragile vitamins and bioactive compounds, which are sensitive to heat and prone to oxidation, with minimal loss of quality. As no other technique yields better results in this regard, freeze-drying is considered the reference drying method for research studies.

Freeze-drying is a less damaging process compared to other dehydration methods because there is no heat, no water loss in liquid form, and no oxidation. As a result, freeze-dried food retains flavors, texture, and color better than food preserved using other drying methods, which tend to affect food structure more profoundly.

Freeze-drying significantly extends food shelf life when proper air-tight packaging is used. Laboratory tests show that freeze-dried food can last over 25 years without any preservatives or special storage conditions. These exceptional long-storage properties, combined with ultra-lightness and top nutritional qualities, make it an ideal solution for various serious emergency situations, disaster relief, food security provisions, and preparedness. Moreover, the extended shelf life offered by freeze-dried foods helps reduce food loss and waste across various stages of the food supply chain, including consumer and retail waste, which accounts for over 60% of total food waste in developed countries. This, in turn, translates into a positive environmental and social impact.

Ultra-lightness*, combined with the ease of storage in any conditions and reduced bulk when needed, makes it a champion of portability among other foods. That's why it is a perfect companion for backpackers, alpinists, sailors, adventurers and explorers. This advantage is the reason it is also the best military field food, especially in extreme weather conditions.

*Freeze-drying can reduce the weight of a meal by 80%.

There is no cooking involved, nor is there a need for boiling water; any water will do. You can use hot, warm, or cold water, and in case of an emergency, you can simply eat it dry. No extra dishes or pots are needed; the pouch that contains the meal is enough, so you won’t have to do any washing up either.

Add water*, stir, wait 2-15** minutes… Voila!

*The hotter the water, the faster the rehydration.
**Some meals will rehydrate faster than others, depending on their serving size and ingredients. For example, our Mash and Cheese will be ready in 3 minutes, while Beef Stroganoff needs at least 10 minutes.

Fact: This assumption is based on a simplification that leads to a false conclusion: freeze-dried food is bad for the environment because freeze-drying has a large environmental footprint due to the significant amount of energy required to operate freeze-dryers. Someone has already put this kind of argument perfectly: that is not only not right; it is not even wrong. Let us explain. Freeze-drying is a slow process with multiple steps requiring a significant amount of energy (e.g., freezing). So, it is true that it is an energy-intensive process. However, the mistake lies in jumping to the false conclusion that high energy consumption automatically equals a large environmental footprint. Energy consumption is just one of many aspects that need to be assessed to make any valid statement about the environmental impact of a given product. Freeze-drying consumes a significant amount of energy, but:

1. It does not generate water, soil, or air pollution, involves no toxicity, and uses no chemicals.
2. Freeze-dried foods are ultralight and easy to store, meaning they can be transported anywhere in the world, or even to space, and stored at a fraction of the cost and resources needed for transporting and storing fresh goods.
3. Freeze-dried foods, when properly packaged, are extremely shelf-stable. The best-before date can be extended to 5, 10, 15, or even 20 years! This means reducing food waste – one of the most significant environmental and social issues we face as humans.

Judging the environmental footprint of a product solely based on energy consumption is like judging a beauty contest using just one criterion... let’s say body weight. Good luck with that. Let’s also remember that the energy used for production is one thing, and its source is another. It would be wise to first determine whether the energy comes from fossil fuels, renewable resources, or a combination of the two, and in what proportions.

Let’s revisit our beauty contest analogy for a moment. Body mass alone provides very little information when considered apart from muscle mass, body fat level, the height of the individual, and the dimensions of the body parts of interest. What does this mean in our case? We have already optimized our machinery and production processes, allowing us to use 30% less energy for the same tasks. And as of 2024, 100% of the energy used by our production plant comes from renewable sources.