The history of freeze drying goes back to the ancient Inca’s, who preserved potatoes and other vegetables simply by exposing them to the air. Low winter temperatures turned the water in the food to ice, which then evaporated in the very dry mountain air.
In the 1930s, industrial freeze drying was developed as a way to preserve surplus coffee in countries such as Brazil. Nescafé and other famous brand names were founded at this time, and instant coffee is now the best-known freeze-dried product.
During the Second World War, freeze drying was also used for wartime medical supplies such as penicillin and blood plasma. In the following decades the use of freeze drying expanded to the point where today the technology is used in the production of around 400 different foodstuffs and many pharmaceuticals.
