1. Application in Fruit and Vegetable Processing
China is a major producer and consumer of fruits and vegetables, but their high water content, rapid metabolism, and susceptibility to spoilage make them difficult to store. Official statistics show that China suffers an annual fruit and vegetable loss of over 100 million tons, resulting in economic losses of 75 billion yuan.
The emergence of freeze-drying technology has greatly compensated for the shortcomings in fruit and vegetable processing and preservation. Freeze-dried fruit and vegetable products have emerged, such as figs, strawberries, durians, pineapples, okra, pea pods, pumpkins, and broccoli. These products are crisp, healthy, and convenient, and have huge market potential.
2. Application in Condiment Processing
Freeze-drying technology effectively preserves the flavor and active ingredients of condiments. Condiments processed using freeze-drying technology, such as Sichuan peppercorns, star anise, chili peppers, and astragalus, are of superior quality and meet people's demands for healthy, nutritious, and additive-free food, thus enjoying great market popularity.
3. Application in Instant Beverage Processing: Freeze-drying technology, used for dehydration and drying, produces instant beverages that retain the original bioactive substances to the maximum extent. These beverages offer advantages such as portability, rapid solubility, and long shelf life. Tea, a traditional Chinese beverage, is fragrant and has health benefits, making it popular with consumers both domestically and internationally. A good freeze-drying process can significantly increase its added value.
4. Application in Fish and Meat Product Processing: Freeze-dried fish and meat products are high-value-added products. Currently, in the international market, freeze-dried fish and meat products are priced 7-8 times higher than quick-frozen fish and meat products, and 4-6 times higher than hot-air dried fish and meat products, resulting in considerable economic benefits.
However, the freeze-drying process is energy-intensive, inefficient, and has high production costs. Therefore, continuous research and improvement of the freeze-drying process for these products are crucial to reducing production costs and making them more competitive in the market.