Berries in cereal

[hurly]

Can somebody explain to me how the food industry makes those dry berries (strawberries, bananas, coconut, blueberry etc) that you find in cereal?

They must use some kind of chemicals on the berries so that they don't get oxidized when drying off right?
Also, do they contain any nutrition left?

[Poison]

If you put those things into a warm place with some sun light, they don't oxidize, even at home.
But I think they use some chemicals for a long best before.

[mith]

some dried fruits have sulfur im not sure if they use it in cereal

[hurly]

If you put those things into a warm place with some sun light, they don't oxidize, even at home.
But I think they use some chemicals for a long best before.

How warm...?

[mith]

about 120F i guess? sundried? That's how ppl used to preserve food.

[123Herpatology]

They are freeze-dried, a technique of super cooling the fruits which then freezes all liquid inside the fruits. I don't know how they remove the frozen material (if they do at all?), and when something is frozen it preserves the fruits material far better than sun drying or dehydrating. As far as nutritional value, it sorta depends on the fruit. Most of the berries wouldn't lose much of their nutritional value. i've never seen preserved coconut inside a box of cereal tho...

[123Herpatology]

sorry, here's a more professional answer, i only had half of it: Freeze Dried Fruits and Freeze Dried Vegetables are produced in a process where moisture is removed from the frozen product using a very low temperature and a vacuum. Only about 3% moisture remains in the product at the time of packaging. The end product weight is reduced by over 90%, while the volume stays the same. This remarkable process concentrates the fresh product taste, natural color, and texture of fresh product in it's freeze dried state. When re-hydrated with water the product will maintain the texture and shape of fresh product, with no shrinking or shriveling.
(says nothing about nutritional value) Hope that helps

[Poison]

How warm? about 30-35C will be enough I think. We sometimes dry things like that at home.

[munkeyzrox28]

i think they dehydrate them... dont they? my dad dehydrates alot of veggies and fruit and thats what they remind me of. it makes sense!

[Poison]

yes they lose their water.