Transforming Thai Food With Freeze Drying Technology: Helping Thai Smes Entering Global Markets
Currently, the global market demand for freeze-dried products is growing rapidly, especially in the food, healthy snack, and pet food sectors. Because consumers have prioritized products that can be stored for a long time without preservatives, that are convenient, ready to eat, and retain their taste, aroma, and nutritional value close to the original, therefore, “freeze-drying” technology is yet another new opportunity and lifeline for Thai agricultural products and entrepreneurs to increase their product value and enhance their competitiveness, both domestically and internationally.
Mr. Suthipoj Kaewbunruang, of Engineering Pilot Plant and Training Unit (EPP), Pilot Plant Development and Training Institute (PDTI), King Mongkut’s University of Technology Thonburi (KMUTT), Bang Khun Thian, stated that drying technology is held to be a crucial innovation that can enormously upgrade and add value to Thai agricultural products and processed foods. PDTI plays a role in research, development, training, and knowledge transfer, enabling entrepreneurs to further develop these into commercial products. The drying technologies used include… Freeze drying technology which is a drying process that begins by freezing the product first, then, undergoing a drying process without high heat at all. The process will reduce the pressure to a vacuum level and use sublimation to remove moisture, allowing for longer shelf life while maintaining the original taste of the food. This technology is currently receiving a great deal of attention from businesses, who are conducting Research and Development (R&D) and conducting trials. Freeze dryers are the most heavily used and are the main source of revenue for businesses. Other drying technologies are also available.
Spray drying technology dries raw materials by atomizing them into a fine mist and exposing them to hot air. As moisture evaporates, the material forms a powder, making this method suitable for products that require convenient further processing, such as milk tablets, coconut tablets, and powdered beverages. Hot air drying removes moisture through controlled heat, while vacuum drying supports the process by lowering pressure to accelerate moisture evaporation. These methods are suitable for products that require specific textures or qualities, such as dried bananas and baked bananas.
Freeze-drying technology offers the key advantage of preserving food quality as closely as possible to its fresh state, including appearance, taste, aroma, color, and texture. It can retain approximately 90–98% of the product’s original quality because the process avoids high heat, with temperatures generally kept below 40 degrees Celsius. This helps reduce the loss of nutrients and other important compounds. The process begins by freezing the product at about -30 degrees Celsius, followed by moisture removal under low pressure through sublimation. As a result, the food dries while retaining its shape and maintaining better overall quality than products processed using other drying methods.
Freeze-drying is well suited to transforming complex Thai dishes and local ingredients into premium, convenient products that are easy to rehydrate and ready to eat. Examples include chili paste that requires only room-temperature water, curries that need only hot water, and freeze-dried papaya salad or tom yum soup that can be restored in about five minutes while retaining the crisp texture of papaya strips and the firm texture of shrimp, closely resembling freshly prepared dishes. The technology can also turn signature Thai dishes, such as Krua Lung Tham’s crab curry and crab dip, into market-ready products for souvenirs or export while preserving a taste close to the restaurant’s original recipes. In addition, freeze-drying extends shelf life at room temperature to one to two years without refrigeration or freezing and produces lightweight products that are convenient for international transport. These advantages make freeze-drying not only a preservation method but also a way to transform local agricultural products into innovative, high-value goods that can compete in global markets.
Furthermore, we also process our own cultivated spirulina, which is relatively difficult to consume fresh, into more accessible products. For example, we process spirulina into jelly or crunchy squid by adding fruit flavors to mask the fishy and grassy smell, making it easy for children and those who dislike the smell of seaweed to consume. Importantly, this creates opportunities in domestic and export markets and new channels, as most agricultural products tend to perish easily.
Mr. Kaewbunruang cited the case of Krua Lung Tham, a well-known seafood restaurant on Bang Khun Thian–Chai Talay Road that is now operated by its third generation of successors. After the COVID-19 crisis, the restaurant sought ways to adapt from a traditional restaurant model to innovation-driven food products. Its team joined training activities and visited the Royal Project Foundation’s work at KMUTT’s Bang Khun Thian campus, which inspired the idea of transforming the restaurant’s signature dishes into freeze-dried products. Since 2021, Krua Lung Tham has received ongoing consultation from KMUTT, with experts supporting research and prototype development at every stage. This collaboration has helped the business scale up to an industrial factory that meets FDA and GMP standards and expand its opportunities in international markets.
Krua Lung Tham has also built a freeze-dried food production facility next to the restaurant to support exports, OEM production for other brands, and partnerships with various businesses. The products developed with KMUTT are divided into two main groups: dipping sauces and chili pastes, such as shrimp paste dipping sauce, seafood dipping sauce, chili paste with minced pork, and crab roe chili paste; and curry products, including crab meat dip and crab meat with bamboo shoot curry.
“Freeze-drying technology helps Thai agricultural products overcome the limitations of traditional processing, transforming ordinary products into innovative products that effectively meet the needs of modern consumers, both domestically and internationally,” said Mr. Kaewbunruang.
Moreover, the Thai Industrial Standards Institute (TISI) plays a vital role in raising product standards and helping Thai SMEs apply technology to grow their businesses. Its support covers the entire development process, from idea generation and technical consultation to troubleshooting production issues, conducting research and development, and guiding products toward commercialization. For example, when an inhaler manufacturer faced production problems, the research team helped improve its production standards and resolve contamination issues that had delayed operations, enabling normal production to resume. In another case involving operational problems with freeze-drying equipment, the team helped factory staff and business owners develop a shared understanding of the process and provided practical guidance until the equipment operated properly.
In addition, the Thai Industrial Standards Institute (TISI) collaborates with entrepreneurs on research and development of products, such as processing grasshoppers into various flavored protein powder drinks to reduce odor limitations and make them more acceptable to consumers. This also includes developing freeze-dried crab curry and crab dip in collaboration with Krua Lung Tham, along with technology transfer, consulting, assistance in writing grant applications and preparing pitches to secure funding for product development or personnel training, both theoretically and practically. Furthermore, they provide advice on investment, marketing, patenting, and upgrading product standards such as FDA, GMP, HACCP, and ISO/PICS, enabling Thai entrepreneurs to develop products that meet international standards, are accepted globally, and have the potential to expand into foreign markets.
“The development of these products and entrepreneurs is a transformation process from “people with ideas but having no skills” or “people with problems with no solutions” to “self-reliant business owners,” using science and technology as key tools,” finally concluded Mr. Kaewbunruang. Source: King Mongkut’s University of Technology Thonburi (KMUTT)
