Recovery of Compressed Dehydrated Foods

Abstract
Seven foods were frozen at various rates, freeze-dried in different ways and adjusted to different moisture contents by exposure to atmospheres of controlled R.H. The resultant materials were compressed, dried, and tested for their capacities to recover initial form and quality on rehydration. Compression in vacuum was successfully demonstrated. Similarly, freeze-drying, adjustment of the water content, compression, and final drying were realized in a single apparatus. These methods were each shown to possess special advantages. Additional experiments were conducted on the compression of solvent-extracted foods. Freeze-dried, compressed, and restored foods were also examined by light and electron microscopic techniques. From these additional studies some indications were obtained of the mechanisms and factors contributing to restoration.