Air-drying can be done effectively with some variety from processor to processor. In one common method, on a conveyor product runs through a chamber that circulates with hot, dry air. Due to hot air, the moisture gets evaporated out of the product. Some other processors use to spray products with hot air, working more like a fan system, but have the same effect. In some processors, the drying process is done by a more stationary method like putting the products on racks rather than conveyors.
The rapid growth in the packaging sector will make the air-dried food market growth over the upcoming years. These dried food products are widely incorporated for making downstream packaged food items. The Rise in population and their increasing disposable income levels have led to the more consumption of packaged foods over the past few years. Due to the change in lifestyle and busy schedules, people generally don’t get enough time to prepare meals. Hence, they are choosing less time-consuming options like packaged foods in recent times. Such trends will improve the air-dried food market over the forecast period.
What is air-dried food?
Air drying is the method of moisture content from various food items to prevent bacterial contamination and prolong their shelf life. Air drying follows the principle of evaporation in which with the help of heated air, water is removed. Different techniques are already available like hot air drying, microwave drying, twin stage air drying, etc. are used in this process.
Air-dried food retains mostly retains their appearance and even color concerning original food products. As moisture content is considerably reduced, it helps in preventing the growth of bacteria responsible for food from spoilage and in turn extends the shelf life of food products. The nutritional value of these food products also remains intact and no supplementary preservatives or colors are added during the process of air drying. These above-mentioned benefits are accountable for the growing popularity of the product among customers.
Air-dried food vs freeze-dried food:
Freeze-drying removes moisture content from raw food products. The food products are frozen through the vacuum system by the process called sublimation. The processor starts cutting down the frozen raw product into the desired piece size and spread it evenly onto trays which stacked and kept in freezers for storage. During this time, product freezes at a uniform colder temperature, attaining an optimal state at which the shape of the product is the same as the original.
The processor piles trays into a refrigerated freeze-drying chamber and seals it tightly to freeze-dry the product. The chamber’s vacuum system removes the ice from the product and converting it directly to water vapor and this system continuously acts on the frozen material. The process of converting a solid to a gas, without going through the liquid state, is called sublimation. As the water is eliminated from the product in the frozen state, the cellular structure remains intact and the final product looks less shrunken.
Here’s why air-dried dog food is becoming a big thing in the industry:
Raw dog food mostly remains fresh food and is in its natural state, i.e. uncooked and unprocessed. Supporters of this raw diet feeders believe that dogs thrive by eating through canines, largely raw meat, and no grains before they were domesticated. Raw muscle meat forms the concept of feeding dogs with a raw food diet. Supplementary organ meat provides them multi-vitamins, ground bone offers calcium, and fresh vegetables like kale or broccoli provide the veg dogs would have acquired from the stomach of the prey animals they eat.
Raw dog food is normally frozen to be fed right away to the dog. The process of air-drying food, that is similar to dehydration, yields an enormous nutrient-rich food with scoop-and-serve convenience. In air-drying, moisture is slowly and gently evaporated from the raw ingredients, also eliminating harmful pathogens at the time it preserves vital nutrients, offering nutrition alike to a raw diet.
Easy to Feed
Those who own pets and are working, it’s hard for them to find time in the daily routine to prepare home-cooked food from scratch every day. So with busy lifestyles, it’s no wonder that hassle-free dog food is good options among dog-owning essentials. Of course, the raw and home-cooked diets require care and preparation, and freeze-dried food needs time to rehydrate in hot water, these diets are superb and keeps all the nutrients that are beneficial for dogs in the long run. But this doesn’t mean busy pet parents have compromise with the health and happiness of their dog – that’s why air-dried dog food comes in demand.
Dogs Transition Easily
Since air drying the food is a slow process to make them air-dried food, this type of food doesn’t crumble easily like most freezes dried dog food do. For pet parents with very choosy pups or dogs that just take considerable time to transition to different types of food, air-dried food is a blessing for them.
These are almost similar to kibble than other types of diets in terms of their ease of prepping a meal, at the same time they are softer and have tastier smell dogs love. This is helpful for dogs who are transitioning away from the dog kibble on an air-dried diet. In addition to it, mess-free air-dried dog food is available in a wide range of palatable flavors. Some of the amazing 5-star brands you can also consider in mind for purchasing an air-dried diet are Wellness’s CORE Tender Bites, ROAM, and Carna4. These tasty recipes are also made adaptable for different types of dogs – like dogs with protein-sensitivity.
No Artificial Preservatives
Human grade dog food like ZIWI Peak’s Air-Dried Dog Food is created by removing all moisture in meat via evaporation and they are unlike dehydrated or freeze-dried dog food. While ZIWI Peak air-dried dog food is made in the same way as dehydration, the process of air-drying food remarkably does not use heat.
Instead, it is a slow and gentle process in which raw ingredients are placed in drying chambers. Air is continuously pumped into these drying chambers and circulates the meat slowly and gradually that evaporates the moisture till a maximum level of 14% of the moisture is reached. This process in turn helps to preserve the meat in a natural way that does not require any preservatives.
The bottom line
The growth of air-dried food market is influenced by the rapid changes in the food industry and the prevalence of fast foods and ready to cook food. Urbanization, coupled with an increasing number of working people and time constraints, is responsible for the loss of prepared food and the increase in the consumption of packaged food.
Free Valuable Insights: Global Air-Dried Food Market to reach a market size of USD 147.7 billion by 2026
Air-dried foods are widely used in a variety of packaged foods, like snacks, confectioneries, bakery goods, etc. Changes in lifestyles and an increase in people’s disposable income have generated several growth opportunities for packaged foods. Branding, massive publicity campaigns, and supportive government policies will drive the packaged food industry in the years to come. These favorable trends will have a positive effect on the consumption of products over the forecast period.