Are All Freeze Dried Beef Organs The Same?

Freeze-drying is the process of removing water from food by freezing it, then using a vacuum and heat to convert the ice into water vapor, thereby removing the moisture from the food.

Freeze drying, when done correctly, is a great way to preserve a food's taste, texture, color, and nutritional value for a long period of time.

However, not all freeze drying is the same. How beef organs are freeze-dried makes a big difference in the final product's quality.

The Freeze Drying Process

Step one is freezing. The food is completely frozen, and any water inside it is turned to ice.

Step two is sublimation. The frozen food is placed in a vacuum chamber, and varying amounts of heat are applied, depending on how quickly the company wants the process to proceed. This heat causes the ice to change from a solid to a gas, skipping the liquid stage. The water vapor is collected by a cold condenser. 

If any water remains in the food, secondary drying occurs. This involves heating the food at high temperatures to break the bonds between the food and the water, allowing the remaining water molecules to evaporate.

The faster and hotter these drying processes are conducted, the worse they are for the food being dried. However, going quickly leads to higher profit margins, so this is most often the path chosen.

This quick, hot freeze-drying process leads to the raw materials losing nutrients, and important compounds are degraded. That’s why a lot of beef liver supplements are tan and smell bad. Since almost no companies freeze-dry their own organs, most have no idea how they were freeze-dried, or they use quickly dried ones because they are less expensive. 

NXGEN Wholefoods Freeze Drying Process

Because NXGEN Wholefoods believes there should be no compromises, their freeze-drying process is lower and slower, taking place over forty-eight hours, which sets them apart from others. That's why their beef liver is brown and slightly sweet-smelling, not tan and offensive-smelling. Their lower and slower process retains more nutrients and compounds per capsule than traditional freeze-drying. They never rely on fast, high-heat transfer to dessicate their organs because that would mean compromising on the quality.

If you want the best beef organ supplements, choose those from companies that make their own raw materials with low and slow, forty-eight hour freeze-drying.