Freeze Dried Food

There are a number of reasons to have a preparedness plan that includes freeze dried foods; the main reason being shortages of food.

Food shortages are no longer a rumor aimed at driving prices up, nor are they limited to 3rd world countries. There are a number of factors that are contributing to these food shortages, but basically they all fall into four categories:

• Global Warming
• Economy in Crisis
• Production Changes
• Political Unrest

Global Warming: Whether you believe in global warming or not, nature has an inevitable impact on the world’s food supply. While some might argue that global warming is pure hoax, no one can argue with crops ruined in the field due to unusual flooding in the bread basket of the US earlier this year. On the other side of the world in Australia, drought caused a 90% loss in rice production that has even had an impact in the US. Aside from the loss of food production due to drought and flooding, violent storms can create food shortages in a local area. In the last two years alone, hurricanes, wild fires, tornadoes and floods have forced people from their homes. Even if their houses survived, many people were forced to stand in line to receive food and water. -- Are you ready?

Production Changes: Soaring fuel prices have forced a search for alternative sources of fuel. Unfortunately crops that were once grown to feed people and food animals, are now being funneled away for conversion into biofuels. This is a practice condemned by Jean Ziegler of the UN as "a crime against humanity" who then called for a five-year moratorium on the production of biofuels.

Economy in Crisis: Almost daily we are watching the US economy teeter on the verge of disintegrating. An economic collapse in the US would impact the global economy, resulting in higher food prices. On the home front, the loss of a job can cause a food shortage in your own home, since most people only have enough food in their cupboards to last for two weeks.

Political Unrest: This may be the “chicken or the egg” question when it comes to food shortages. While war and armed conflicts can cause food shortages, increasingly social and political unrest are being trigger by shortages in the food supplies. -- Are you ready?

Advantages of Freeze Dried Food

• Flavor
• Appeal
• Variety
• Stability
• Footprint
• Shelf-life

Flavor: While some canned and dehydrated foods are palatable, they lack the taste-appeal of fresh food, mainly due to the intense heat required in processing. The freeze-drying process flash freezes the food and then uses low-level heat to evaporate the ice crystals before they can return to liquid form. This allows the foods to retain their original fresh flavor.

Appeal: It’s a known fact that the visual appeal of a food has a big influence on enjoyment. Canned and dehydrated foods often lack the color and textural vibrancy found in fresh or frozen foods. Again, the unique freeze-drying process allows the food to retain all its fresh color and shape.

Variety: There are just some foods that cannot be canned or dehydrated, whereas the freeze-drying process allows such things as ice cream and cheesecake to be stored for long periods of time.

Footprint: That’s the amount of space that must be allocated to storing the food. Probably the most space-demanding long-term food storage method is canning; requiring darkness and shelves or boxes to hold the jars and avoid breakage. While dehydrated foods don’t require a lot of space, they should be stored at a temperature below 70° F. On the other hand, a three-month supply of freeze-dried dinner entrees for four people is lightweight and can easily be stored in a closet or under the bed.

Shelf-life: Another limitation of canning and dehydrating is the limited shelf-life. Whether store-bought or home-processed, canned and dehydrated foods will only be viable for 6 to 12 months. After that, they begin to lose nutritional value, taste and texture at a fairly steady pace. On the other hand, the freeze drying process allows food to maintain all the benefits of fresh food, and at the same time ensures a longer shelf life than other processes. In fact, the shelf life for foods that have been freeze dried is around 25 years without a loss of nutritional benefit or palatability.

Freeze Dried Food and Survival

When thinking about having to survive months or years on a diet that lacks variety and the flavors of better times, you could get discouraged. I know I was. However, I’ve found that there are freeze dried foods that will make surviving on food reserves a little less stressful. -- Are you ready?

For instance, there are certain comfort foods that have an immediate effect on our sense of well-being. Giving your child an ice cream bar when the power has been out for months would be an emotional lift in an uncertain time. Another comfort to anyone would be a serving of hot and delicious mac and cheese .

Many people think that survival food has to consist of dried out beef strips, granola bars and little else. The reality is that technology allows for the creation of foods that have all the deliciousness of gourmet cuisine yet all the security of long-term storage food. Now you can have flavorful Chicken Teriyaki for dinner and then enjoy the decadent pleasure of blueberry cheesecake for dessert.

The economy is in crisis, our national enemies are forming alliances and moving into positions of military advantage, and nature is increasingly violent and devastating. Are you ready to weather the next disaster that strikes the nation?

To avoid becoming one of those victims so often featured on the evening news, it is up to you to take the initiative to prepare. Whatever form the next disaster takes, there may only be a short window of opportunity left for you to prepare for your family’s food needs. This is so certain, that even the Government is now urging people to prepare. -- Are you ready?

If you are just starting to prepare and believe that time is of the essence, then the only way to lay in a store of food quickly is to order it. For your family's sake, you cannot put off this decision much longer. Get your freeze dried food while you can.