· How many years have you been doing this?
NXTDRIED has been working with REV technology for nearly 6 years, starting with an initial development phase using the small 10kW machine and then investing in our own processing facilities in Peru together with our first continuous REV machine. We are continuing to innovate in Peru with new product development on fruits, veggies and superfoods.
· Why did you choose to create this product?
Consumers are increasingly demanding healthy foods and snacks with high nutritional values and exceptional flavors, colors and textures. The freeze-dried market, the “gold standard” for food ingredients will reach $80 billion by 2025, so we are convinced there is a strong appetite for clean label, premium ingredients and ready-to-eat snack products using REVdried technology.
We wanted to meet the core freeze-dried market needs but offering better products and be much more sustainable. NXTDRIED products have a far lower carbon footprint than freeze-dried and can offer total traceability as it is always made from fresh products.
Location was also a critical factor. Our parent company Fresh Business had been working in Peru for some time supporting innovation in the agri-food industry and so we were aware of the amazing availability of high quality and organic fresh popular fruits and veggies as well as Peruvian superfoods.
Peru is one of the 10 most biodiverse countries in the world, so we have access to an incredible variety of crops, plants and products for future processing as well as our current ranges of snacks, ingredients and ultimate Peruvian superfoods. Therefore, locating our REVdried processing facility in Peru was a positive choice and is one of the most advanced processing facilities in Latin America with our highly trained teams and the NXTDRIED Lab.
· What factors are important for this product to be a success?
Quality Sourcing in Peru: if you have access to great fresh products then you have the opportunity of achieving fantastic REVdried products. We are firmly based in Peru with a highly experienced sourcing team who have access to the best fresh foods from Peru, with extensive producer networks and growing communities working under global quality certification agreements.
We offer local farmers technical support, supply partnerships and a guaranteed sale of their crops and we make sure the fruits are harvested to the optimal maturation point before being processed.
Innovation and R&D: in order to achieve the best possible products, most efficient processing and the highest nutritional values, NXTDRIED constantly invests in the whole process chain from optimal raw material selection, handling, preparation and conditioning processes as well as final REVdrying. Each product has carefully developed and tested protocols, designed by the NXTDRIED Lab and unique to each individual fruit or superfood.
Our NXTDRIED Lab innovation projects often involve international multidisciplinary teams, and comparative studies and extensive use of analyses.
Focus on Premium quality: our growing list of clients, distributors and brand partners share our passion for high performance organic and conventional snack products, food and beverage ingredients and superfoods which can compete effectively alongside freeze-dried products. Step-by-step REVdried from NXTDRIED will become widely recognized by consumers as well as the food industry as being beyond freeze dried in terms of product quality, nutritional performance and sustainability.
· What are some of the relevant challenges you faced on the way to that success?
We work with fresh organic products and sometimes it can be a challenge. Our raw materials are not homogeneous, which can sometimes makes the industrial process difficult, but thanks to R&D we are able to obtain a high quality dried product. Also, the rigorous quality control of the raw material allows us to have a homogeneous product with high nutritional value.
Whilst the products speak for themselves, we still need to explain clearly and consistently to the food industry the amazing science and technology behind NXTDRIED and that REVdried really is the new freeze dried!
· How did those challenges make you feel?
Sometimes it can be tricky, also because we are always seeking to improve our product offer, reach higher nutritional values and even more sensational flavors. It is a challenge, but that’s the beauty of working with a natural product with no additives added to process it, resulting in a natural snack or superfood thanks to all the R&D and REVdried technology.
Innovation is never easy, although when you sample a new product for the first time and see what can be achieved with the REVdried technology in terms of flavors, colors and texturesit is all worthwhile! And then customers also understand why we are beyond freeze dried.
· How did EnWave technology help you solve problems?
The REV technology really is precision food processing at its best. We not only have the flexibility to adapt the processing protocols in order to achieve consistent results for standard fruits or veggies but it also allows you to tailor the protocols and algorithms for specific effects in terms of flavors, textures or even popping of particular fruits or veggies.And their technology has helped us preserve some amazing bioactive compounds of fruits in an exquisite way.TheEnWaveteam are always available for a call and information sharing.
· Walk me through the steps, from the original problem to where you are today.
Today we are already transforming Peruvian biodiversity, unique in the world, into products of high nutritional value and with a long shelf life.
In addition to all this, it only takes 10 days from the tree to the final package, when we take the product in its optimal state of maturation, so we have a fresh product with high nutritional and sensory value, which we transform into a dehydrated product.
We are able to supply the snacks and ingredients with the most intense flavors and colors. We are also proud to say that our superfood range has the highest nutritional retention.
For example, the NXTDRIED CamuCamu powder is simply the fresh CamuCamu (without the seeds) and then gently REVdried. We have achieved up to 25% vitamin C in the dried CamuCamu powder which is a world record level of VITAMIN C for a dried product. One of our new range of ultimate superfoods.
· Reflect on where you were, and where you are today. How do you feel?
We are proud and we will keep working and researching with new products that continue to meet the demands of the new consumer, who is becoming more and more demanding.
· Are there any numbers/ facts & figures you can share?
I feel this chart is very self-explanatory when it comes to our superfood range.
· What excites you about the future?
We are very excited about how the market is growing. How consumers are looking for healthier options and even functional nutrition related products. With the continued growth of the $80 Billion freeze dried ingredients and snacks market, we feel confident that we can compete effectively in this market, and even take our products beyond freeze dried.
This matches perfectly with our offer, with the way we have built NXTDRIED and we are very excited to keep growing and reaching new markets.
