What makes Terranova products different from other supplement brands? One major difference is the fresh freeze-dried advantage.

Terranova has more than 100 products, all of which contain organic and phytonutrient-rich, fresh freeze-dried whole foods and botanicals.

So, what is fresh freeze drying exactly?

Freeze drying, scientifically known as lyophilization, is the process in which water is removed from a product after it is frozen and placed in a vacuum, which allows ice to convert directly from solid to gas without passing through the liquid phase.

Standard commercial methods for drying plants used in supplements include air, spray or oven drying. These commercial methods can degrade important compounds and alter a plant’s delicate and synergistic biochemical balance. However, research shows that freeze drying actually protects and retains much of a fresh plant’s potency, biochemical integrity and enzymatic activity. In fact, the biochemical profile of a fresh freeze-dried plant very closely resembles a concentrated version of the original fresh plant, due to the removal of the plant’s moisture content.  Freeze-drying yields potent, shelf-stable food and botanical products with all the active components of fresh plants intact.

How does fresh freeze drying work?

The entire freeze-drying process takes 9-24 hours. It is a 3-stage process that consists of:

• Step 1: FREEZE. Freshly picked herbs, botanicals, fruits and vegetables are frozen at peak ripeness to ensure they retain all the living vitality of the fresh plant
• Step 2: VAPORIZE. The frozen foods and botanicals are then placed into a low-pressure vacuum chamber to be gently removed of water via sublimation
• Step 3: SEAL. The fresh freeze-dried foods and botanicals are sealed in moisture and oxygen-proof packaging to ensure freshness and maintenance of the original nutritional profiles. Shortly after, they are blended in Terranova formulas.
  

The history of fresh freeze drying

Freeze drying originated as early as 1890, when it was used to freeze-dried tissues. During World War II, it was discovered that freeze-drying blood serum kept it chemically stable without the need to refrigerate, making blood easily transportable. It was this application that led to freeze drying innovations in other fields like food and pharmaceuticals. Today, freeze-drying is a preservation technique used for live virus vaccines, biologics, and high quality food products.

Realizing the power of this technology, Dr. Ed Alsat, the founder of Eclectic Institute, set out to apply freeze-drying to a whole new industry – herbs and medicinal plants. This had not previously been tried on a commercial scale, yet the result was a great success.

Dr. Ed Alsat
Source: Eclectic Institute

Dr. Alstat realized that freeze-drying could be a pure, natural preservation method after learning that plasma from blood could be re-infused into the body after it had been freeze-dried. Eclectic Institute became the first company to freeze-dry herbs for commercial use globally.

Eclectic Institute is Terranova’s primary botanical supplier and is a 90-acre certified organic herb farm, located in a remarkably secluded and awe-inspiring setting in the state of Oregon, USA. Every Eclectic Institute crop has been nurtured in a pristine, chemical-free environment and has been harvested at a stage when the plants have reached their peak levels of bio-active markers. For botanical ingredients which are wildcrafted, Eclectic’s highly skilled and experienced wildcrafters carefully collect the plants in an environmentally sustainable manner, from areas which have not been sprayed with pesticides or herbicides. Every Eclectic Institute plant is fresh freeze dried immediately after its collection.

Source: Eclectic Institute

What is the fresh freeze-dried advantage?

• Fresh freeze drying retains virtually all of the original biochemical integrity of a fresh plant, including the enzymatic activity
• Fresh freeze drying prevents most enzymatic and chemical changes associated with other drying methods that can reduce activity and alter biochemical balance
• Fresh freeze drying typically allows plants to retain potency and shelf stability for longer than other drying methods. It can preserve a product for up to 25 years, remaining as fresh as the day it was dried
• Fresh freeze drying produces ingredients with a high solubility, which may facilitate assimilation of the plant’s nutrients and other important compounds within the digestive tract
• Fresh freeze drying produces highly porous and brittle plant material, which can be milled into powder (i.e. for encapsulation) without generating destructive levels of heat or friction

See the Difference!

Air-dried raspberries vs. fresh & freeze-dried raspberries