Freeze-drying removes 98% of the water in food while dehydration removes about 80% giving freeze-dried products a much longer shelf-life. Freeze-dried food is flash frozen and then exposed to a vacuum, which causes all the water in it to vaporize.  This process makes it possible to store freeze-dried foods for 20 to 30 years, compared to dehydrated food, which typically last one to five years.

Freeze-drying has the upper hand when it comes to nutrition. Researchers suggest that since freeze-drying food involves removing up to 98% of the food’s water without the use of heat, the food tends to maintain a significantly higher nutrient content compared to dehydration.

Freeze-drying removes water only. Since it does not involve heating, the nutrients, flavors, and color of the food are left intact and remain so for quite a long time with proper storage.

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