I、 Production process
1.Core process:
1.1 Raw material processing: Select apples without pesticide residues (such as Lijun Ecological Farm products), wash, peel, core and cut into pieces, and protect the color in an antioxidant solution (vitamin C or tea polyphenols) to prevent browning.
1.2 Pre-freezing and freeze-drying: Place the apple pieces in a vacuum freeze dryer and process them in two stages: Pre-freezing: Freeze the water at low temperatures (such as -30℃ to -40℃) to form solid ice crystals and retain the fiber structure of the pulp.
1.3 Sublimation and analytical drying: In a vacuum environment, ice crystals are directly sublimated into water vapor and discharged, and the moisture content of the final product is less than 5%, maintaining a crisp taste.
1.4 Packaging: Use moisture-proof small packages (such as 10 grams/bag) to prevent moisture resurgence from affecting quality.
II.Market Prospects：
Market Size and Growth China’s freeze-dried food industry produced 13,945 tons in 2020, up 19.8% year-on-year; freeze-dried fruit production reached 6,415 tons, with a compound growth rate of 17.52% from 2011 to 2020 25.
The industry will enter a period of rapid development in 2023, and consumers’ demand for healthy snacks will surge, driving the popularity of products such as freeze-dried apple slices.
Consumption Trends Youth: Young people prefer light food culture, and freeze-dried apple slices have become a popular snack because of their convenience and health (retaining more than 90% of vitamin C.
Diversification: Products have expanded from single fruit slices to mixed dried fruits, energy bars, tea companions, etc., and application scenarios cover baking, catering and other fields 56.