Acai Berry Powder: Freeze-Dried vs. Spray-Dried

Acai berry is a healthy food that is rich in nutrient. However, it is impossible to get fresh acai berries outside the Amazon rainforest as these fruits will lose its nutrient very quickly once harvested. Therefore, it is not a good idea for these fruits to be transported over a long distance for a long time. To overcome this problem, manufacturers will process the fresh berries first before shipping them out, one of the products is the acai berry powder.

In order to make acai berry powder, the acai pulps is first separated from the seed and then flash dried. Spray- dried process and freeze-dried process are among the most common ways being used by acai products manufacturers. In spray-dried process, high heat is used to dehydrate the acai pulps, and then carries agents such as maltodextrin will be sprayed on to dry it. It is a cheaper, faster and easier way, but not a preferred way as high temperatures will destroy the nutrients of the fruits. Freeze-dried process on the other hand is a better way to make acai powder.

In freeze-dried process, the acai pulps is flash frozen and then the water is removed in a special vacuum chamber at very low temperature, as low as -10^oC. This process helps in preserving all the nutrients and natural goodness of acai. No carry agents are being used in this process. The freeze-dried acai will then be ground into acai powder and sealed in moisture-and-oxygen proof packaging to keep it fresh. When water is added back to acai powder, you will get acai berry juice with original fresh flavor.

Image: Courtesy of Oregon Freeze Dry, Inc.

Both spray-dried and freeze-dried acai berry powders are available in the market, sold by different manufacturers under different brands. Spray-dried acai powder is always cheaper than but not as pure as the freeze-dried acai powder, which is more expensive. Therefore, it is up to the buyer’s own jurisdiction in deciding which product to choose from, a cheaper one or a purer one.

References:

• “Are All Acai Supplements Created Equal?”, www.powersupplements.com
• “Freeze Dried Acai Powder from Brazilian Amazon”, www.acaipowder.gojiking.co.uk
•  “Acai Berry Powder: Where to Buy the Best Acai Powder”, www.pureacaiberrysupplements.com
• Tom Harris, "How Freeze-Drying Works?", www.recipes.howstuffworks.com
• "Freeze Drying How it Works & Benefits", Oregon Freeze Dry, Inc., www.ofd.com

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This page was last modified on: December 09, 2011