Evidence-based

Our Research & Science

At our core, we believe transparency should be just as clean as our ingredients. While “fresh” fruit is wonderful right off the branch, the realities of modern supply chains mean that the produce on grocery store shelves isn’t always at its nutritional peak.

Below, we break down the peer-reviewed science behind how freeze-drying captures, locks in, and protects nature’s optimal nutrition.

Claim 1: The Modern Supply Chain Can Degrade “Fresh” Fruit Nutrition

The Nuance

From the moment fruit is harvested, its living tissues begin to consume their own stored sugars and organic acids. While strict, uninterrupted cold-chain refrigeration can slow this down, real-world transport times, warehouse storage, and grocery shelf exposure frequently lead to a rapid decline in fragile, heat-and-oxygen-sensitive vitamins—particularly Vitamin C and volatile antioxidants.

Supporting Studies

Vitamin Loss in Transport & Storage: Research tracking the post-harvest timeline demonstrates that significant nutritional losses (ranging from 35% to 50%) regularly occur in fresh produce due to moisture loss, natural decay, and environmental exposure during standard handling and distribution.
Source: Taghavi, T., Siddiqui, R., & K. Rutto, L. (2019). The effect of preharvest factors on fruit and nutritional quality in strawberry. Strawberry - Pre- and Post-Harvest Management Techniques.
Temperature Sensitivity: Studies measuring the degradation of water-soluble vitamins show that when fresh produce is subjected to standard room temperatures or fluctuating supply chain conditions, immediate drops in total antioxidant capacity and vitamin content can be observed within just 2 to 6 days.
Source: Mudau, A. R., et al. (2015). Influence of postharvest storage temperature and duration on quality of baby spinach. HortTechnology, 25(5), 665-670.

Claim 2: Freeze-Drying is the Gold Standard for Nutrient Preservation

The Nuance

Freeze-drying (lyophilization) does not create new nutrients, but it is scientifically recognized as the most effective commercial preservation method available. By flash-freezing fruit at peak ripeness and removing moisture through sublimation (turning ice directly into vapor under a vacuum), the fruit’s cellular structure is locked in place. This halts the enzymatic processes that normally cause fruit to rot and vitamins to degrade.

Supporting Studies

The Physics of Preservation: Comprehensive reviews of food dehydration technologies confirm that because freeze-drying avoids the high-heat thermal processing used in traditional canning or standard heat-drying, it minimizes thermal degradation and prevents oxygen from destroying sensitive bioactive compounds.
Source: Yao, J., Chen, W., & Fan, K. (2023). Novel efficient physical technologies for enhancing freeze drying of fruits and vegetables: A review. Foods, 12(23), 4321.
Retention vs. Refrigerated Storage: Long-term nutritional tracking reveals that frozen and freeze-processed fruits often retain equal or, in some real-world timelines, higher concentrations of sensitive vitamins compared to fresh store-bought counterparts that have experienced extended transit and shelf life.
Source: Bouzari, A., Holstege, D., & Barrett, D. M. (2015). Vitamin retention in eight fruits and vegetables: A comparison of refrigerated and frozen storage. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 63(3), 957-962.

Claim 3: Ounce-for-Ounce Concentration of Nutrients

The Nuance

Fresh fruit is composed of roughly 85% to 90% water. By gently removing this water weight while leaving the dietary fiber, skin, and pulp perfectly intact, freeze-drying creates a structurally stable, highly concentrated product. Gram for gram, freeze-dried fruit offers a more densely packed serving of antioxidants and macronutrients than a water-heavy fresh piece of fruit that has spent a week in transit.

Supporting Studies

Quality Changes & Comparative Retention: Comparative data on fresh-cut versus stabilized fruits indicates that while fresh fruit steadily loses structural integrity and moisture over a 6-day period, properly dehydrated and sealed freeze-dried matrices maintain completely stable nutrient concentrations over months of storage.
Source: Gil, M. I., Aguayo, E., & Kader, A. A. (2006). Quality changes and nutrient retention in fresh-cut versus whole fruits during storage. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 54(12), 4284-4296.

Full Academic Bibliography

For those who want to dive deeper into the food science, we invite you to review the peer-reviewed literature that informs our processes:

Bouzari, A., Holstege, D., & Barrett, D. M. (2015). Vitamin retention in eight fruits and vegetables: A comparison of refrigerated and frozen storage. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 63(3), 957-962.
Gil, M. I., Aguayo, E., & Kader, A. A. (2006). Quality changes and nutrient retention in fresh-cut versus whole fruits during storage. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 54(12), 4284-4296.
Mudau, A. R., Nkomo, M. M., Soundy, P., Araya, H. T., Ngezimana, W., & Mudau, F. N. (2015). Influence of postharvest storage temperature and duration on quality of baby spinach. HortTechnology, 25(5), 665-670.
Taghavi, T., Siddiqui, R., & K. Rutto, L. (2019). The effect of preharvest factors on fruit and nutritional quality in strawberry. Strawberry - Pre- and Post-Harvest Management Techniques for Higher Fruit Quality.
Yao, J., Chen, W., & Fan, K. (2023). Novel efficient physical technologies for enhancing freeze drying of fruits and vegetables: A review. Foods, 12(23), 4321.

Questions about our process? Contact us · Retailer brochure