Ingredient sourcing
We can work with customer-supplied materials or source suitable ingredients to an agreed specification and budget.
Food testing & contract production
Freeze-Dried Food Testing & Contract Production Services
We can support the complete route from an initial freeze-drying trial through ingredient sourcing, preparation, larger-volume processing, finishing and repeat production.
- Product testing & development
- Larger-volume contract processing
- Ingredient sourcing to packaging
A practical first step
Find out how your product behaves in a real vacuum freeze dryer.
A development trial is designed to answer the early questions before you invest in a large run: will it dry successfully, what will the yield and finished format look like, and what should change before scaling?
Freeze-drying testing & development
From £150
- Initial product and objective review
- One agreed small-scale development run
- Agreed process observations and batch information
- Finished sample and next-step discussion
Starting price depends on product, preparation, quantity and required reporting. Scope is confirmed before work begins.
What a trial can help you understand
- 01Freeze-drying suitability
- 02Appearance & texture
- 03Wet-to-dry yield
- 04Cycle behaviour
- 05Milling or rehydration
- 06Scale-up considerations
Good to know: the starting trial service covers freeze-dryer testing and development. Independent laboratory fees, specialist preparation, packaging and larger quantities are quoted separately.
Full-service contract production
Move from a successful trial into larger production orders.
Once the product format and drying process are agreed, we can take on larger quantities using our production freeze dryers. The service can cover a single stage or the complete route from sourcing ingredients to packing the finished product.
Flexible supply: provide your own ingredients, ask us to source them, or combine the two. Every production job is scoped around the product, quantities, required finish and delivery plan.
Product preparation
Washing, cutting, portioning, recipe preparation or other agreed pre-processing can be built into the production plan.
Large-batch freeze-drying
Larger-volume orders can be processed using our production freeze-drying capacity once the product and cycle are agreed.
Milling & blending
Freeze-dried material can be milled, blended or prepared into the required finished format where suitable.
Packing & finishing
Pouch filling, sealing, vacuum packing or nitrogen backfill can be included to the agreed product specification.
Repeat production
We can plan repeat orders and ongoing contract processing around batch size, required quantities and delivery schedules.
What we can process
A dedicated product-testing and food-processing service.
You can use our freeze-drying capacity without owning the equipment. We assess each product for suitability, agree the process and start at a scale that makes sense.
Fruit & vegetables
Whole, sliced, puréed or prepared formats assessed around structure, sugar, water content and the desired result.
Meals & prepared foods
Product trials and batches for suitable prepared foods, recipe development and specialist meal formats.
Ingredients & powders
Ingredients, blends and products intended for milling into a stable free-flowing format.
Supplements
Suitable food and nutrition products processed to an agreed specification and handling plan.
Product development
Small trials to understand appearance, texture, dry yield, processing time and commercial potential.
Specialist materials
Non-standard projects considered individually after suitability, contamination and handling review.
How a product trial works
A controlled route from your question to a useful result.
Every product behaves differently. The trial is scoped around the decision you need to make, with the test conditions and outputs agreed in advance.
Define the question
We discuss the product, ingredients, allergens, intended result and what you need the trial to prove.
Agree the test scope
We confirm sample quantity, preparation, trial price, measurements, sample return and any laboratory work requested.
Prepare & load
The agreed product format is weighed, prepared and loaded at a controlled depth for the development run.
Run the trial cycle
Product temperature, shelf conditions, vacuum behaviour and cycle progress are monitored through drying and finishing.
Review the result
We assess dry yield, appearance, texture, handling and process behaviour, then provide the agreed batch information and sample.
Choose the next step
Use the findings to refine the product, arrange independent laboratory testing or plan a repeat and scale-up batch.
Cycle monitoring & traceability
A visible record of what happens through the drying cycle.
For testing and agreed production work, we can record the information that connects the incoming product to the completed run. That makes it easier to review a trial, compare repeat batches and understand how the product behaved.
- Product and batch identification
- Processing dates, cycle stages and timings
- Shelf and product temperature information
- Vacuum behaviour and monitored process data
- Wet and dry weights, observations and agreed results
Records and reporting are supplied to the level agreed for the individual project.
Independent laboratory options
Need evidence beyond the freeze-dryer trial?
We can coordinate suitable third-party food laboratory testing and keep it connected to your development project. These analyses are not currently performed by us in-house.
Moisture & water activity
Independent measurement of residual moisture and available water to support quality and storage decisions.
Nutrition & composition
Energy, fat, carbohydrate, sugars, protein, fibre and salt, with vitamins or minerals added where required.
Microbiology & shelf life
Relevant microbiological analysis and properly scoped shelf-life studies for the product and intended storage conditions.
Specialist analysis
Allergens, contaminants, pesticide residues, authenticity or other suitable tests can be sourced for individual projects.
Independent results, clearly identified
Laboratory scope, sample quantity, price and turnaround are agreed separately. Where accreditation is required, we can source an appropriate laboratory and confirm that the requested analysis sits within its accredited testing scope.
Laboratory results can support product development, specifications and labelling work, but do not by themselves certify a product or automatically establish shelf life.
Finishing & packaging
More than simply taking the trays out.
Finishing and packaging can be built into the project so the product leaves in a useful format. Availability depends on the food, quantity and specification.
Pouch filling & sealing
Plain or customer-supplied pouches filled and sealed to the agreed batch format.
Vacuum packaging
Air removal and sealed packaging where that approach is suitable for the product.
Nitrogen backfill
Inert-gas backfill available by agreement for products requiring additional oxygen protection.
Milling & blending
Finished freeze-dried material can be milled or blended where agreed during project planning.
Batch records
Wet and dry weights, cycle information, batch identity and process notes supplied to the agreed level.
Customer specification
Processing and packaging planned around the product, intended use and customer requirements.
Food safety & assurance
Official inspection information, clearly shown.
Freeze Drying And Refrigeration UK is registered with Fareham local authority as a manufacturers/packers food business.
Food Standards Agency · Inspection: 3 August 2026
- Hygienic food handling
- Very good
- Management of food safety
- Very good
- Cleanliness & condition of facilities
- Good
These are the standards published on the official Food Standards Agency record for the latest inspection.
View the official FSA record ↗Certificates & documentation
Project information available where it matters.
Official registration
Public Food Standards Agency record and Fareham local-authority registration.
Batch traceability
Batch identity, dates, weights, cycle information and process notes provided to the level agreed for the project.
Independent test reports
Where third-party analysis is arranged, the laboratory’s report is kept clearly separate from our processing and trial records.
Testing or production enquiry
Start with a trial—or talk to us about a larger production order.
Tell us the product, required quantity, whether ingredients need sourcing, the intended finished format and any packaging requirements.
Request a callback
Tell us what you need. We’ll call you back.
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- Call our team
- 07599 483 904
- Email us directly
- enquiries@freezedryinguk.co.uk
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- Our business address
- 30 Kelvin Grove
Portchester, Fareham
Hampshire PO16 8LG