The problem to be solved
The objectives of the innovation activity are to:
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• Find out the optimum freeze-drying regimes for the freeze-drying of selected fruits and vegetables.
• Identify suitable packaging material for the packaging of freezedried products. The packaging should ensure the longest possible shelf-life for the products and consequently, grant the highest environmental sustainability in terms of shelf-life.
• Identify the most energy-efficient freeze-drying technology and the key points for increasing the efficiency of the process.
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Project outcomes
It was established that the most suitable packaging material for the freeze-dried products would be a structure made from polymer film with a layer of aluminium and polyethene composite (PET/Alu/PE) or an airtight thin-wall metal can. Packaging of the products in the described packages would ensure the longest shelf-life for the freeze-dried products and consequently, grant the highest environmental sustainability in terms of shelf-life. Additionally, a package
from PET metallized laminated PE film (PET/met/PE) would grant the preservation of the products for a year.
The most energy-efficient freeze-drying technology and the core issues for increasing the efficiency of the process were identified: the most energy-efficient freeze-drying technology is the use of the freeze-drying chamber of maximum vacuum density where the water vapour condenses onto the surface of the condenser in solid ice form at a temperature of -70°C or lower. A system of several chambers is used for the condensation of the vapour where the heat from the process is accumulated and reused.
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It is very important to choose the right freeze-drying technology for the products. In the course of the innovation activity, the optimum freeze-drying regimes were tested for the selected garden produce, which enabled the planning of efficient freeze-drying technology. Tests have demonstrated that the use of the optimum regime would enable to speed up the freeze-drying process by 20–25%. The freeze-drying process is the fastest in the cases where freezing is performed slowly and the temperature is raised quickly above 20 degrees in the primary drying phase.
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“The defined objectives were met by the acquired knowledge about the possibilities of increasing the speed and efficiency of freeze-drying. Additionally, the project provided a basis for future research to identify the best berry varieties in terms of suitability of different berry crops for freeze-drying and find solutions for reducing the skin barriers.” Raimond Strastin, a board member of NGO Aiandusklaster
| Support |
Innovation cluster (submeasure 16.0 of ERDP 2014–2020) |
| Beneficiary |
NGO Aiandusklaster, www.aiandusliit.ee/aiandusklaster |
| Contact |
Triin Luksepp |
| Project period |
May 2017 – June 2019
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