Freeze-drying is the ULTIMATE preferred method for breast milk storage. Here at Booby-Licious we utilize the freeze-drying process to preserve the nutritional integrity of your breast milk and extend its shelf life.
Furthermore, freeze-drying (also known as lyophilization) utilizes a three part process to extract water content from perishable materials to preserve its shelf life. Freeze-drying works by deep freezing the material. Thereafter, the pressure inside the chamber is reduced via a pump coupled with adding small amounts of heat to allow the frozen water (solid) in the material to change directly into a vapor (gas). This process is as known as sublimation.
Freeze-drying further prevents high lipase from occurring in your breast milk. Through the removal of water, the active enzyme in breast milk causing high lipase becomes inactive!
Freeze-drying works in a 3 process phase:
DEEP FREEZE: Freeze-dryer is placed under a deep freeze reducing the temperature to as low as -40 degrees fahrenheit.
PRESSURE REDUCTION: The second phase of the process after achieving very low freezing temperatures to reduce the atmospheric pressure inside the chamber. This process is achieved by the use of a pump to create an ultra low pressure that is necessary to achieve sublimation.
DRYING (Sublimation): Small amounts of heat are added inside the chamber to achieve the process of sublimation, which occurs by changing the molecular structure of the molecules from a solid (ice) to a gas (vapor).
