Functional food development has entered a new era thanks to freeze-drying technology. Recent studies show freeze-drying can actively improve key techno-functional properties of ingredients, making them more powerful tools for formulators who want to create performance-enhancing products.
How freeze-drying changes functionality
Freeze-drying removes water at very low temperature and pressure, which helps proteins and starches retain their native structure while creating a highly porous matrix that rehydrates quickly and interacts differently with water and oil. Compared with higher-temperature drying, this gentler approach tends to reduce protein denaturation and oxidation, which is strongly linked to better emulsifying, foaming, and rheological behavior in downstream applications.
Evidence from chickpea flours and proteins
A 2025 study on chickpea flours found that freeze-dried samples showed higher water absorption capacity (roughly 1.05–1.24 g/g vs 0.84–0.98 g/g) and increased oil absorption, along with improved foaming capacity compared with non–freeze-dried controls, directly supporting the claim that freeze-drying can enhance functional performance rather than just preserve it. Earlier work on chickpea protein concentrates also reported that freeze-dried powders differed in techno-functional behavior from hot-air-dried equivalents, underlining that drying method is a major lever for water/oil binding and foaming properties.
From chickpeas to next‑gen egg replacers
Food developers are already exploiting chickpea functionality to create plant-based egg substitutes, where good foaming, emulsifying, and gelling are essential. Commercial innovators using chickpea flour for vegan egg replacement specifically highlight its favorable starch gelling and natural foaming and emulsion properties, which can be tuned by upstream processing and drying to match the performance of egg proteins in bakery applications.
Plant proteins, powders, and performance
Broader reviews on drying of plant proteins and mixed ingredients show that freeze-drying often yields powders with superior emulsifying stability, water-holding, and rheological behavior compared with many conventional drying methods, even when it is not always “best” on every metric. At the same time, comparative studies between freeze-drying and spray drying in different protein systems (such as soy, insect, or whey) demonstrate that process choice can shift particle size, aggregation, and surface properties, which formulators can exploit to target specific textures and functionalities in high-protein flours, beverages, or bakery systems.
sources
- Effect of Freeze-Drying on the Engineering, Cooking, and Functional Properties of Chickpea Flours https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12111726/
- Drying Methods Affect Physicochemical and Functional Characteristics of Clanis bilineata Tingtauica Mell Protein https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnut.2022.1053422/full
- Effect of Drying Methods on Physico-Chemical and Functional Properties of Chickpea Protein Concentrates https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0260877415002769
- Evaluation of the Effect of Spray and Freeze Drying on Chickpea Protein Isolate https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S266615432500081X
- Freeze-Drying of Foods: Process, Parameters, and Physical Properties https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7603155/
- Freeze-Drying – Application in Food Processing and Biotechnology https://journal.pan.olsztyn.pl/Freeze-Drying-Application-in-Food-Processing-and-Biotechnology-a-Review,98302,0,2.html
- Impact of Heating and Freeze or Spray Drying on Protein Structure and Function https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0268005X22004337
- Plant-Based Egg Analogs: Mechanisms and Functional Optimization https://ift.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/1541-4337.70287
- Aquafaba, Wastewater from Chickpea Canning, Functions as an Egg White Substitute https://academic.oup.com/ijfst/article/53/10/2247/7804983
- Aquafaba Powder, Lentil Protein and Citric Acid as Egg Replacer in Cake https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2772502222001482
- Plant-Based Egg Alternatives: Optimizing for Functional Properties https://gfi.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Plantbasedeggalternatives.pdf
- Indian Innovator Leverages Chickpea Flour to Formulate Vegan Egg Substitute https://www.foodingredientsfirst.com/news/indian-innovator-leverages-chickpea-flour-to-formulate-vegan-egg-substitute-for-bakery.html
- Tastybubu News and Learning Articles
