Food Dehydration and Preservation of Nutritional Qualities – Innov’ia

Dehydration is a preservation process aimed at removing most of the water contained in a product to improve its stability and extend its shelf life. This technique is highly appreciated in the food industry but is also used in pharmaceutical and cosmetic fields due to its many benefits:

• Reducing Food Waste: Dehydrated foods have a longer shelf life, which limits waste and contributes to sustainability.
• Concentration of Flavors and Nutrients: By removing water, flavors are often more concentrated, and the nutritional density increases.
• Logistical Optimization: Dehydrated products are lighter, reducing transport and storage costs.

However, the process must be well controlled to be truly effective. Poorly managed dehydration can significantly alter the sensory qualities and degrade sensitive nutrients. That’s why relying on a specialized provider like Innov’ia ensures access to advanced expertise and tailor-made solutions.

To maintain the nutritional value of ingredients during dehydration, several factors need to be taken into consideration:

• Temperature: Nutrients like vitamins and enzymes are sensitive to heat. Excessively high temperatures can cause degradation.
• Drying Duration: An overly long process can lead to the oxidation of certain compounds. A good balance between temperature and time is essential.
• Residual Moisture Content: The goal is to eliminate enough water to prevent microbial growth without overly drying the product, thus preserving its organoleptic characteristics.
• Hygiene Conditions: They are crucial to avoid contamination and ensure final quality.

By adhering to these principles, it is possible to produce nutrient-rich dehydrated ingredients while preserving their original taste, color, and texture. To find out more about the stabilization and sustainability of ingredients, take a look at Stabilization: ensuring the quality and durability of ingredients

Low-temperature dehydration (below 45°C) is particularly valued for preserving a maximum of vitamins, minerals, and enzymes. It is often used for “living” foods that retain most of their nutritional properties.

Advantages:

• Optimal preservation of heat-sensitive vitamins (e.g., vitamin C)
• Retention of natural aromas and colors
• Maintains a pleasant texture after rehydration

Limitations:

• Longer drying time compared to other techniques, which can increase energy costs
• Requires specialized equipment and precise temperature control

Spray drying involves spraying a solution or suspension of ingredients into a stream of hot air. The water evaporates rapidly, producing a fine or granulated powder.

Advantages:

• Rapid drying, limiting nutrient degradation
• Ability to produce different particle sizes (fine or granulated powders)
• Efficient and industrialized process, especially suitable for liquids
  
  Consult more informations about Spray Drying technology 

Limitations:

• High technological investment required

• Freeze Drying : Vacuum dehydration process applied to a previously frozen product. The water in the product transitions directly from a solid to a gas state 

• Infrared Drying: Uses infrared waves to heat the surface of the food evenly, accelerating water evaporation
• Vacuum Microwave Drying: Combines the effect of vacuum and microwave action for quick drying while preserving nutrients

Oven Drying: Simpler, sometimes used on a small scale, but can cause overcooking if temperature control is poor

A pioneer in the formulation and transformation of innovative ingredients, Innov’ia stands out for its mastery of the atomization technique and related services.

• Designing and Testing Tailored Formulations: Each product is unique; Innov’ia develops custom protocols to achieve the desired characteristics (taste, texture, color, nutritional value).
• Stability and Preservation Optimization: The dehydration methods proposed ensure excellent preservation while reducing waste.
• Rigorous Quality Control: Systematic checks are conducted at every stage of the process to ensure compliance with standards and product safety.

Do you also want to innovate in the field of food supplements? See our solutions in Innovative food supplement formulation

Innov’ia is actively engaged in an eco-responsible approach:

• By-Product Valorization: The dehydration techniques offered make it possible to transform co-products or production surpluses into valuable ingredients.
• Quality Certifications: Innov’ia holds recognized certifications (ISO, etc) and follows several quality systems(HACCP, etc.), ensuring its rigor and professionalism in the food, pharmaceutical, and cosmetic sectors.

To learn more about how we ensure ingredient stabilization and durability through our processes, visit our website: Ingredient Quality and Durability

Coating consists of applying a protective layer on the surface of an ingredient. In the food, pharmaceutical, or cosmetic industries, this technique offers several benefits:

• Nutrient Protection: Coating reduces oxidation, moisture exposure, and loss of sensitive compounds like certain vitamins or active substances.
• Taste or Odor Masking: Some functional ingredients have a strong taste or smell. Coating helps mask them partially or completely.
• Controlled Release: In the pharmaceutical or dietary supplement sector, coating can be designed to release active ingredients in a targeted manner.

Learn more about controlled ingredient release here: Controlled Release of Ingredients

Thanks to its expertise, Innov’ia can offer coating solutions tailored to every project:

• Custom Formulations: The R&D teams develop tailored coatings (natural, organic, etc.) that align with your specifications.
• Controlled Industrial Process: Innov’ia has specialized equipment and production lines capable of coating various types of products (powders, granules, etc.), while ensuring high quality. Find out more about fluidized bed agglomeration.

Complete Integration: The company can combine the dehydration step with coating to deliver a perfectly adapted result for applications in human nutrition, animal health, cosmetics, or pharmaceuticals.

Dehydration is a proven and sustainable preservation method that, when performed under optimal conditions, offers remarkable preservation of nutritional qualities. Combined with other processes like coating, it becomes a real asset for industries looking to develop functional, stable, and high-performance ingredients.

With its expertise, cutting-edge equipment, and environmental commitments, Innov’ia positions itself as the ideal partner to support you in all your formulation, dehydration, and coating projects. Its know-how allowsto offer tailor-made solutions that meet the specific needs of each sector (food, animal nutrition, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, etc.).

Ready to take your project to the next level?

Don’t hesitate to contact Innov’ia now to learn more about its services and discuss your specific needs.

• Request a Quote for Food Product Development
• Or Enjoy a Free Consultation for Your Food Formulation Needs

Benefit from the expertise of a passionate and experienced team to design, develop, and produce high-value-added dehydrated and coated ingredients.

Visit Innov’ia’s Website or call us directly for personalized support.