Never before have Europeans been so committed to their personal health. Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, dietary supplement suppliers were increasing production with European Freeze Dry to meet the growing demand for dietary and health supplements.
The scientific understanding of probiotics and prebiotics has grown to a new level, while public consciousness of the health benefits that these products can bring, particularly in terms of promoting good gut and intestinal health, continues to raise awareness of their benefits around the world.
Although the administration of probiotic supplements in the form of tablets and capsules is being recommended by medical professinals — because of their ability to boost digestion, metabolism and immune health, consumers are also becoming more accustomed to seeing live probiotics such as kefir, kombucha and sauerkraut on supermarket shelves.
The market for probiotics and prebiotics has grown at double-digit rates in the last 10 years and is expected to continue in the same vein.
Furthermore, consumers are taking more interest in what they consume as well as supplementing any deficiencies in our bodies. But how can the live culture industry continue to meet growing demand without sacrificing the quality and bioavailability of the probiotics on offer?
Securing the viability of live cultures is a tricky process; yet, freeze drying is a gentle drying procedure that enables the preservation and viability of probiotics to provide long shelf-lives in supplements and tablets.
What is freeze drying technology?
Freeze drying technology has evolved since it was first used as a method to dry vegetables and meats in South American mountains more than one hundred years ago.
The freeze drying process, which can take place at European Freeze Dry’s facilities in Denmark or in the UK, takes a frozen probiotic and gently applies heat to the raw ingredient.
Poul Andersen
During the freeze drying process, a deep vacuum is applied and, under these conditions, the ice leaves the product as a vapour trail ... which is then captured on an ice condenser within the freeze dryer.
The process typically takes between 24–72 hours to complete, depending on the product and is done in a set of ‘chambers’ that can be controlled at various temperatures, pressures and time schedules depending on specific product requirements.
During the course of the process, the product dries out while remaining viable as a healthy culture, leaving the final product structurally and nutritionally stable, as well as maintaining all the health, digestive and intestinal benefits of the original product for several years.
The complex and subtle process can vary in technical details, requiring our expert teams to identify the specifications of the micro-organisms and protecting the viability of the cultures throughout the process by applying gentle heat and pressure to the product as it dries.
Compared with more aggressive drying methods such as spray drying or air drying, freeze drying methods are proven to retain the purity of the product ... even when they are ground down into a powder.
Freeze dried cultures can be supplied as tablets or added to fortified products.
The result is a 100% natural freeze dried product, which retains all the benefits of the raw culture. From there, it can be supplied as a stable supplement or ground down into a powder that can be formulated into tablets.For probiotic producers, this means that live cultures gain an extended lifespan, reducing the possibility of waste and increasing overall sustainability.
The final product can packaged into a supplement tablet that can be supplied as is or added into natural products, such as yoghurt, milk or snacks such as cereal bars or plant-based dairy drinks.
European Freeze Dry has accumulated significant experience with its 50 trained staff having dried hundreds of different micro-organisms in recent years.
The products are supplied from our plant in the UK and Denmark to customers in Europe and other parts of the world.
Awareness and demand for better intestinal health is on the rise ... and European Freeze Dry is well placed to meet that growing demand.
