Europe Freeze Drying Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report By Freezer Type (Tray-style Freeze Dryer, Manifold Freeze Dryer, Shell Freeze Dryer), By End-User (Food and Beverage, Pharmaceutical, Biotechnology, Others) and By Country(U.K., Germany, France, Spain, Italy, Russia, Nordic, Benelux, Rest of Europ) Forecasts, 2024-2032

Market Overview

The Europe freeze drying market is expected to reach USD 2340.86 million by 2030, with a CAGR of 8.45%.

Lyophilization, also known as freeze drying, removes moisture from a raw, frozen product by using a vacuum system and a process known as sublimation.

Raw frozen food is sectioned into pieces of the proper size and then distributed evenly across trays before being stacked and placed in freezers. The product, having been sized, then freezes at an even colder temperature, achieving the ideal stage in which the object's initial shape can be preserved while still retaining its integrity.

Then, the trays are loaded into a freezer-drying chamber with a refrigeration unit and a door that closes securely. A process known as sublimation removes ice from the product by the vacuum system of the chamber, and the ice is converted straight to a vapour without passing through the liquid state. Because the water is removed from the product while frozen, the cell structure is preserved, and the finished product exhibits a close similarity to its new version. As a result, the piece maintains its identity.

Market Dynamics

Drivers

• Rising health concerns hence driving the market

Because of rising health concerns, Germany's ageing population consumes more nutritious products. As a result, demand for freeze-dried fruits and vegetables increases because they are high in nutrients and have a long shelf life. Due to ongoing trends and societal changes that affect overall food consumption, freeze-dried foods are becoming more popular in Germany. Furthermore, these foods' freshness, taste, ease of preparation, quality, and long shelf life have increased consumer demand. Local players compete with international players in terms of product visibility and offerings to expand their customer base.

The ease of the technique in processing heat-sensitive food products, such as fruits and vegetables, and providing them with a longer shelf life without compromising their original properties is the primary driving factor for the Europe freeze-dried food market.

Furthermore, consumers are drawn to these products because foods prepared using freeze-dried technology are easier to store and handle and have a short preparation time.

Rising interest and participation in outdoor sports as a result of increased health and wellness awareness and increased interest in expedition activities and adventures are the major factors driving freeze-dried food sales across the region.

• Dried Tropical Fruit Imports are Growing

Due to the growing demand for healthy snacking and new product applications, such as fruit snacks, countries like the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, and Germany accounted for the largest importers of dried tropical fruits worldwide. The Netherlands, the United Kingdom, and Germany accounted for roughly half of the total imports in 2017. furthermore, as companies develop new products and implement food safety and social responsibility standards to gain a competitive advantage, demand for freeze-dried products in the region increases.

Restraints

• Difficulties in maintaining product quality and achieving the desired moisture levels

The desired level of moisture removal is frequently not achieved during the lyophilization process; products are contaminated due to excessive amounts of moisture, which can result in some potential threats to patients who are administered with these products. Furthermore, removing excess moisture can cause product instability, resulting in losing integral structure and biological activity. As a result, precision in achieving the desired moisture level is critical to avoiding food and pharmaceutical products contamination. Manufacturers face significant challenges in achieving these desired moisture levels.

Regional Analysis

The Europe Freeze drying Market is segmented into Germany, France, The U.K., Italy and The Rest of Europe, based on country.

The rise in demand for on-the-go foods combined with a longer shelf life drives demand for freeze drying in the European market. And as the region's residents demand convenience foods, it has created a lucrative growth opportunity for food processing manufacturers and exporters to expand their businesses and meet rising demand. This expansion is aided further by the product's increasing popularity due to its ability to retain the original flavour and taste of the food product while also providing a long shelf life. As a result, there is an increased demand for freeze drying in the regional market.

Segmental Analysis

The market is segmented into Tray-style Freeze Dryer, Manifold Freeze Dryer, and Shell Freeze Dryer based on freezer type.

The tray freeze-dryers market is expected to dominate the segment. Tray freeze-dryers are more sophisticated than their counterparts, and they are used to dry a wide range of materials in both the pharmaceutical and food and beverage industries. The tray freeze-dryer freezes the product while performing unbound water removal and bound freeze drying, resulting in the driest possible end-products in long-term storage. Furthermore, these dryers allow operators to dry products in bulk, making them popular for long-term storage of pharmaceutical products such as vaccines.

The market is segmented into Food and Beverage, Pharmaceutical, Biotechnology and Others, based on end-user.

The food & beverage segment is expected to augment the market growth. There are three significant reasons which are contributing to this cause.

• Individuals' hectic work schedules prompt them to opt for refrigerated, frozen, and canned food, increasing the demand for freeze drying equipment.
• The growing number of female workers and nuclear families also drives the Europe Freeze drying market. Working women have less time to cook, which increases the demand for convenience foods such as canned and frozen foods.
• One of the primary benefits of freeze drying is extending the shelf life of nutritious food ingredients while also making food products versatile, accessible, and convenient. The demand for shelf-stable food drives the demand for these freeze drying processes in the food and beverage industry.
• Highest Growth Expected in Pharmaceuticals Segment

In the pharmaceutical industry, freeze drying is widely used to improve labile drugs' stability and long-term storage stability, particularly protein drugs. Approximately half of the FDA and EMA-approved biopharmaceutical products are freeze-dried, indicating the importance of the freeze drying process in pharmaceuticals compared to other processes, despite the high cost and lengthy processing time.

Increasing life expectancy, rising R&D investments, surging foreign investment in developing markets, and rising customer spending has aided the pharmaceutical industry's growth. And as the prevalence of chronic diseases and obesity rises at an alarming rate, so makes the demand for pharmaceutical products across the board.

Impact of covid-19

COVID Impact: During COVID-19, supply chain interruptions hampered the trade, causing a lack of raw materials for producers and a delay in delivering finished items in the form of blind bolts to customers. As official prohibitions around the world have been lifted, demand for blind bolts has already begun to rebound to pre-pandemic levels.

Recent Developments

• May 2022, the new GEA Smart Sealing System eliminates the need to replace the previously used Teflon tape on the heated sealing jaws after only a few hours by using special metal tapes in the sealing area. It provides numerous benefits, including increased productivity, decreased downtime, a lower total cost of ownership (TCO), and improved package quality.
• May 2022, IMA and Goglio, two leading Italian multinationals dealing in the packaging solutions sector, have formed a strategic partnership to pool their expertise. And know-how to provide the most comprehensive range of processing and packaging solutions for the coffee industry, with a strong and mutual emphasis on research and development of next-generation packaging materials.