The increasing trend through the pandemic in the demand for protein and high fibre ingredients continues to rise.

As lifestyles change and consumers seek a high-fibre diet, the demand from manufacturers delivering to supermarkets is on an upward path in products such as pulses, chicken and dairy products.

Sarah Lacey, sales development manager for European Freeze Dry, said:"The demand for protein and high fibre ingredients from food manufacturers shows no sign of slowing down.

"Consumers are better informed than ever about diets and what they want to eat. Theyve had months at home to consider their lifestyle changes and were seeing that coming through in the rising demand for these products from manufacturers."

The freeze drying process preserves the nutritional goodness of protein and high fibre ingredients and can be prepared as sliced, diced, chopped, caramelised or powder, while there is also little waste through the process.

Foods high in protein and fibre are often used in diets, reducing appetite, increasing fat burning and lowering blood pressure. Protein foods are also known to reduce blood sugar into the bloodstream.

European Freeze Dry also recently expanded its vegan freeze dried meal range to include couscous based dishes and a vegan bolognaise, complementing the already wide range of freeze dried vegetables and pulses. It follows the development of two new meat alternatives, vegan chicken and vegan mince, in addition to freeze dried jackfruit which was launched earlier this year.

At European Freeze Dry, all products for freeze drying start as frozen raw materials, and undergo a process known as sublimation under specifically designed programmes.

The reduction in water in the final freeze dried product means there is a much reduced potential for microorganisms existing in such low amounts of water, leading to a shelf life of up to seven years in pouches and 25 years in tins.