An Open Letter, 31 March 98
IFDFA '98 is over and now it's back to work. First, I want to thank everyone who participated in the freeze dried flower technology panel discussions. From what I heard, bullish attitudes about the technology coupled with a booming marketing interest will translate into increased sales for all in the coming months. The positive response to chemical pretreat and post-treat additives among our customers is being mirrored among freeze drier manufacturers who have improved large scale freeze dried flower production capacity through retrofits and new builds. Within ten years, freeze dried flowers and chemically softened dried flowers have exceeded a projected $8 million industry annual sales worldwide and will likely double in the near future. What a remarkable growth! Now it is time to expand our horizons and reflect upon the latest technology developments so that immediate customer demands can be met.
Faithful customers continue to be rewarded for their ingenuity in supporting improved product performance. The most frequently asked question is: "how do we get the latest product information while working with freeze dried flower technology?" The world wide web seems to be the obvious choice, with existing telephone, e-mail and related web links notwithstanding.
Sincerely,
Tom Masters
NEW DEVELOPMENTS as of 31 March 98
This is what BEC Corp has to offer it customers:
Pretreats in general will prepare the flowers for freeze drying by opening up the cell mass for faster freeze drying. Plus will set a majority of colors to give a brighter look coming out of the freeze drier. The different pretreats are listed below.
a) Pretreat 1:24 dilution is an economical way to prepare for freeze drying. Most cases it will be used in conjunction with post treatment to give a durable long lasting flower.
b) One-shot has been helpful in doing flowers other than roses. It may work well on peonies, snapdragons, orchids, and others. It seems to fill a niche for certain customers.
c) Spectroset works best for red roses such as cardinals at a 1:6 dilution, kiko roses can be treated at 1:6 , certain pinks look outstanding at 1:8 dilution, peach colored roses and stargazer do well at 1:10, plus additional dilutions show promise on lighter colors or if a burgundy color is desired. Also zinnas and lilies come out beautiful at 1:10 plus they dry fast. Dip zinnas immediately or they will fade without the pretreat. It must be pointed out at this time if the pretreat is warmed to 100 degrees F. more solution is absorbed in the petals and better results occurs. Also you can place the roses back in a bucket of water and place a fan close by to get quicker drying of the flower heads ( for 20 to 40 minutes). Cut the stems and place on the trays for freeze drying. As customers stated at the IFDFA conference there are several different methods to loading your freeze drier to insure best results. Your freeze drier manufacture will be a good contact if you have questions on that procedure.
d) Polyset is the newest pretreat that has the most promise. There are years of research resolve the perplexity of freeze drying. Many customers are using Polyset as one time treatment to soften the product and intensify color thus eliminate a post treatment. It must be noted that no pretreatment on the market can be fully credited with replacing a post treatment until a comparison is done under strong sunlight and high humidity conditions. Also quality of the flowers and the end use of the flowers for example sealed under a plastic dome may make Polyset a good one time application. It is best that each customer demonstrates to their satisfaction that Polyset will meet their expectations as a one time treatment. Many customer are pleased with the success of Polyset in their operation. Customers are diluting Polyset 1:1.5 for soft durable flowers i.e. roses. Others are diluting Polyset 1:2.5 if softness is not as important. Gerbers, other daisies, camillas and lilies can be treated at 1:1.5 to hold the petals in place. Again heating the solution to 100 degrees F. and soaking the flowers for 30 seconds up to 2 minutes will give added softness. Allowing the flowers to dry for 20 to 40 minutes with a fan nearby will reduce the chance of polymer residue to remain on the tips of the petals.
Ultra-white (white on white) seems to fit into many areas. It was first made for air drying of orange and apple slices. It is now uses as a pretreat for white roses, gardenias, white lilies and orchids. Please remember to heat the pretreat to 100 degrees F. and soak for 30 seconds up to 2 minutes to get good penetration. In higher humidity areas a post treatment like Sealcoat may also be needed. Just like Spectroset, Ultrawhite it can be dipped in Polyset if added protection is needed.
Sealcoat is a new post treatment for flowers and produce. Sealcoat may help to eliminate solvent based post treatment. It comes in two parts, one part resin, other part catalyst. For best results the products need to be warmed to 100 degrees F. and added together to get a thin water-like solution. Mix only what you need for a six hour period. Keep the material warm so it will be easy to dip. Place treated flowers in a warm area around 80 to 100 degrees F. for several hours to promote faster drying. The product will set up in 24 to 48 hours. The Sealcoat finish is a soft durable semi-gloss which will be helpful in high humidity seasons of the year.
Flexmelt is a hot melt for fruit and vegetables. It is heated to 140 degrees F. in a crockpot. The material is dipped and laid out on a heated tray for one hour so the excess material can drain off. When the product is removed from the tray it can be easily handle and any residue can be removed with a hair dryer. It takes one week for the product to become tough and durable. The long cure time will not interfere with the handling of the product.
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