Freeze Drying
Freeze drying is an extremely gentle method of transforming a liquid into a powder. This process has been uniquely developed for our products, allowing us to convert oils into water-soluble emulsions or powders. We can then incorporate these into our liquid products, where they can be diluted in water, or into our capsules and tablets to maximise absorption.
The oils are mixed with an oligosaccharide to form a stable emulsion.
This emulsion is then poured into what can only be described as giant baking trays, creating a layer a few inches thick across each tray. The trays are then chilled and gradually frozen over several hours.
Once frozen, the trays are placed into the freeze-drying chamber (which resembles a giant oven) on individual stainless steel shelves, whose temperatures can be controlled. The chamber's large door, which weighs a couple of tonnes, is then securely sealed, and a vacuum is created inside the chamber.
When the required vacuum strength is achieved, the temperature of the shelves is increased. Although the shelves become much hotter than the frozen emulsion in the trays, the heat rises gradually from the bottom up.
This unique process allows the water to transition directly from a frozen state (within the emulsion) to a vapour state (as steam) under the vacuum, which effectively pulls moisture away from the product. As a result, the product never returns to a liquid state or reaches boiling point.
The extracted vapour (steam) is channelled through a pipe into a separate chamber called a compressor, where it is stored as ice. This allows us to physically observe how much moisture is being removed from the emulsion.
At the end of the process, what remains is a dried ‘cake’ with a brittle, honeycomb-like texture. This is then simply milled into a fine, free-flowing powder.
At any point, water can be added and mixed to reform the original emulsion, effectively making the oil soluble again.
Common Products That Are Freeze-Dried:
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Some army ration packs
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Powdered sachet soups
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Premium instant coffee
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Dried berries found in breakfast cereals
Through freeze-drying techniques, emulsification (mixing) enables the oil droplet— which is microscopically small— to be coated in the oligosaccharide, acting as a carrier for the oil.
In the body’s natural digestive process of oils and fats, emulsification occurs as part of digestion to enhance absorption. With freeze drying, we are essentially aiding this process by pre-digesting the oil before it is consumed in tablet or capsule form.
