Vortex freeze dry technology
Vortex Freeze Dry Technology (VFD) is a key element in the creation of our functional super foods and nutraceuticals. This process allows Powerherbs to ​preserve whole foods in their fresh form, maintaining the medicinal bioactivity of a live plant while providing the safety of a stable (preserved) commodity. This is essentially freeze drying but with a dynamic twist. This evolutionary and transitional process provides a highly bioactive, stable, bio-available and concentrated product that is not as subject to microbial or enzymatic spoilage.
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VDF is unique in that the plant tissue fractures between/along the layers of the cell walls ​sustaining cellular integrity and the bioactive extracellular matrix​. Exposure of the entire surface area to be dried results in “even” drying which preserves cell wall structure and preserves the biochemical makeup of the plant as it exists in nature. In addition to higher bioactivity this process results in porous particles that are easier to absorb and are, therefore, more bioavailable. Higher bioactivity combined with higher bioavailability make all of our VFD bio-activate botanicals significantly more effective.
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Increased bioactivity by sustaining cellular and molecular integrity
Increased bioavailability due to:
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Natural micronization – small particles are easier to absorb
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Porous particle structure provides increased surface area per unit of weight (see photo below) and is more easily absorbed
- Consistent drying with no exposure to heat at any time during the process
- Sublimation and micronization accomplished in a one-step process – faster production time and decreased risk of contamination in handling
- Finished powder with exceptionally low moisture levels (normally under 2%) are better preserved
Science recognizes the freeze-dry process as the most effective method to preserve bio-active substances including herbs and botanicals.
Conventional freeze-dried particles after mechanical grinding
Vortex freeze-dried techology - porous particle structure
Freeze-drying became well known near the end of WWII when it was used to transport blood plasma to soldiers on the front lines.
When snake venom is collected to make anti-venom, it is freeze-dried.
Most scientific laboratories have small desktop freeze dry machines to preserve samples with the least possible disturbance to their chemical composition.
The product is dried while it remains frozen.
Sublimation removes water and only water, but this water does contain terpenes and traces of other active compounds and VFD can save the water that has come from inside the herbs in a 100% naturally soluble liquid form.
VFD is truly where nature meets science.
ADVANTAGES OF VORTEX FREEZE DRY TECHNOLOGY
While these same herbs can be found growing elsewhere, our unique processing is where the magic is made. VFD provides you with both unique selling points as well as barriers to competition.
The biggest challenge of conventional freeze-drying functional superfoods and nutraceuticals is the high cost of machinery, operational costs, huge energy usage and small quantities produced. These factors combine to make conventional freeze-drying slow and expensive.
In conventional freeze-drying the product is laid out on trays and the trays are placed on racks inside the product chamber. The exposed surface area (the drying surface) is limited, and only a small quantity of raw material can be processed.
In our VFD process, the product is not sitting motionless on trays but is flying around inside the product chamber in a vortex. This dramatically increases the exposed surface area which, in turn, increases the rate of heat exchange allowing very much larger quantities to be dried faster.
