Freeze Dry Process

What makes Ubite so special is our intricate freeze drying process that has been long regarded as the most natural form of food preservation available to man.  Modern freeze drying was first developed over seventy years ago in the early 1940’s as a way to preserve vaccines and food during World War II.  Today, we have chosen to use the freeze drying process in preparing our pet treats to deliver a product that is superior to all the rest. 

The process of freeze drying itself, removes almost all the water from our selected meats without altering the bio-availability of the vital nutrients they naturally contain.  Removing the water preserves the meat without any preservatives, as it is the water in food that is the catalyst for mold and bacteria growth.  By removing the water from the food, harmful side effects of food degradation are avoided. 

The freeze drying process preserves the meat without any preservatives, and most importantly leaves the meat, including its nutrients, taste, aroma, shape and color, in its natural state while removing any potential health risks, providing a safe, healthy and nutritious treat.

Freeze drying is a process of sublimation where a solid is transformed into a gaseous form without moving through an intermediate liquid stage.  This process of lyophilisation is achieved in four main steps:

1. Pretreatment:  Firstly, we cut the refrigerated fresh meat into desirable shapes to prepare them for the flash freezer.
2. Freezing:  We then put the but meat on trays and place them in a blast freezer where they are quickly chilled to  -20 degrees Celsius
3. Primary Drying:   The trays are then taken out of the blast freezer and placed between panels in the freeze drying chamber where the initial drying takes place.  The vacuum chamber is set to .1 – 1 millibars and the panels on which the trays are placed warm the product beginning the process of sublimation.
4. Secondary Drying: Secondary drying begins once the temperature of the panels and the product are the same and the pressure is slightly lowered. The purpose of this drying process is to remove the bonded water molecules from the product, and to dry the core of the treat.
5. Packaging:  On completion, we transfer the treats to our packaging area where they are packed with care.

Every aspect of food preparation, from ingredient selection to processing to packaging, is carried out by us under the strict operational guidelines of HACCP and SQF.

Freeze Drying vs. Dehydration

Freeze-drying and dehydration are terms that are common in the market place today.  Although those using these processes claim that their process is the best, which is truly better? To explore the matter further, we looked at the science related to freeze drying versus dehydrated (or dried) foods.

	Freeze Dried	Dehydrated
Does not alter flavor
Keeps natural structure
Has an extended shelf life	30 years	15 years
Does not require food preservatives or additives
Can be rehydrated	Within Minutes