Freeze-dried ingredient kits supply UK care homes with nutritious long shelf life meals for elderly

01 Mar 2021 --- Fuel Your Preparation, part of European Freeze Dry, is supplying freeze-dried meals and ingredient kits across the UK care home sector.

Working together with Care England, a representative body for independent care services in the country, the partnership offers seniors instant meals that retain the nutritional value of the day they were made throughout their multiple year-long shelf lives.

“Given freeze-dried food only requires water and a heat source to become ready to eat, it means people can have access to high-quality, nutritious food in even the most difficult or restricted circumstances,” Diana Morris, country manager at European Freeze Dry, tells NutritionInsight.

“The care sector is always open to new options in how it can provide nutritious food familiar to residents and as a way of being prepared for any crisis or emergency,” adds Martin Green, CEO of Care England.

Being fully prepared for any type of emergency is vital in a care home environment, Morris continues, whether it is due to food supplies failing because of a pandemic or experiencing a power cut or flood.

Morris previously shared with NutritionInsight how freeze-drying technology is seeing a resurgence in nutraceuticals as well as her views on the UK’s upgrade in scientific infrastructure last year.

Freeze-dried ingredients are produced by removing the water from the original product but still maintain nutrition and taste.Tailored to taste 
To preserve mental health and maintain morale, Care England emphasizes that having a tasty meal to look forward to is important for older people, particularly during the pandemic. 

Maintaining a nutritious diet also plays an essential protective role in a range of age-related conditions, including oral and dental health as well as bone and joint health. 

The meal range from Fuel Your Preparation in tin cans and pouch formats includes chicken tikka with rice, pasta bolognese, beef stew, spicy pasta arrabiata, five bean cassoulet, chocolate mousse and rice pudding. 

Depending on individuals’ needs, the ready meal range also offers halal, vegan and vegetarian options. 

Innova Market Insights spotlights personalized nutrition as its third top F&B trend for 2021, noting how consumers increasingly look for food and beverage options that fit their unique lifestyles.

Other notable food tech moves in making food appetizing for the elderly include 3D-printed milk and vegetable purees.

Pandemic boosts sales
Fuel Your Preparation freeze-dried foods contain carbohydrates and protein. They come with a shelf life of 25 years in tins or seven years in pouches for storage. 

The instant meals require only water to prepare while staying tasty, stable and nutritious at room temperature. 

Other emergency situations where freeze-dried food is useful include mountain rescues or major incident planning across high-risk sites such as nuclear installations.

“Fire and rescue services need to know they have a meal ready when they need it particularly if they are out on an incident and working long hours. The oil and gas sector is also relevant where remoteness and challenging conditions present difficulties in consistent food supplies,” Morris reveals.

Having a tasty meal to look forward to is important for older people, particularly during the pandemic.Last May, European Freeze Dry revealed a “dramatic rise” in freeze-dried food demand from the public and private sector. 

During the first six weeks of 2020, European Freeze Dry increased bulk sales of its freeze-dried vegetables and pulses over the same time period in 2019 by an increase of 1.7 percent. 

Sales of vegetables and pulses in the first six weeks of 2020 outsold the first nine months of 2019.

Fuel Your Preparation also provides ingredient kits for home preparation, such as green beans, beef mince, white rice and diced chicken. 

In May 2020, turtle beans, diced sweet potato, black-eyed beans, diced beetroot and caramelized onion were European Freeze Dry’s top five most popular vegan ingredients.

To address the climbing consumer demand for “an extra level of flavor,” European Freeze Dry revealed a range of gourmet ingredients last June. Mulled apple, char siu pork, carne asada beef and chili-marinated shrimp were introduced for snacks and ready meals with a shelf life of up to two years. 

By Anni Schleicher