Freezedry Harvest
Specifications
A spec sheet with every ingredient,
a lot number on every pouch.
Every FD Harvest ingredient comes with a spec sheet: ingredient and cut, organic status, origin on our own farms at Lake Naivasha, the moisture target agreed with you at trial, micro testing in our own lab, packaging and shelf life. Each lot is traceable to farm, plot, harvest date, dryer run and packing date.
01 — What the spec sheet is for
The document your incoming checks are written against.
A specification says what the ingredient is and what it must meet. Your product developer uses it to design the recipe, your purchasing team to write the order, and your quality team to approve the supplier and check each delivery. It is the reference point if a lot is ever questioned.
Every FD Harvest ingredient has a spec sheet, and it comes with each sample. Some lines are fixed by the crop and the process, such as the ingredient, the cut and the origin. Others, such as the moisture target, are agreed with you at trial, together with the cut and the lot size, so the sheet you approve describes the ingredient you will receive.
02 — Line by line
What each line of the spec sheet tells you.
The lines below are what our spec sheets cover, with what each one means and what your team would usually check. Values for each ingredient are on its own sheet.
| Spec-sheet line | What it tells you | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Ingredient and cut | The crop and its form: rings, leaves, chopped flakes, diced, pieces, a custom cut or a powder made to your specification. | That the cut suits your process and your label. Powders are made only when you ask. |
| Organic status | Certified organic (USDA Organic and EU Organic, certified by Ecocert), or conventional to your specification. | That it matches your organic claim; ask for the certificates for your own certifier. |
| Origin | Grown on our own farms and by contracted growers around Lake Naivasha, and freeze dried, cut and packed on one site there. | Country-of-origin labeling and your traceability records. |
| Moisture | The moisture target for the ingredient, agreed with you at trial. | Your incoming check, and whether the target suits the water activity of your matrix. |
| Microbiology | The microbiological testing of the lot. Lots are micro-tested in our own lab. | That the tests and limits match what your product needs, especially if there is no cook step after the ingredient goes in. |
| Packaging | Metalized pouches, packed straight after drying, each with a lot number. Bulk or retail-ready packing. | Pack format for your line, and that the lot number is recorded at goods-in. |
| Shelf life | 3 years in sealed packaging. | Your stock rotation, and the shelf life of your finished product. |
| Storage | Sealed, cool, dry and out of direct light; reseal after opening. | Your warehouse and line-side storage. |
| Lot traceability | Farm, plot, harvest date, dryer run and packing date for every lot. | That your batch records capture our lot number. |
Certificates are available on request. For the food safety system behind these lines, see food safety and traceability.
03 — Moisture and water activity
Two lines that measure different things.
Moisture is how much water is left in the ingredient, as a share of its weight. It is the line most dried-ingredient specifications carry, and on our spec sheets the moisture target is agreed with you at trial. Water activity measures how available that water is: it decides whether microbes can grow and which way moisture moves between the components of a product.
In the published literature, freeze-dried ingredients typically finish at a few percent moisture and a very low water activity, below the level at which bacteria, yeasts and molds can grow. Those are typical literature values, not figures for our product. If your product is a dry blend, a coated snack or an inclusion, tell us at trial, and agree the moisture target with that in mind. The literature values and their sources are in freeze dried vs air dried.
A low water activity stops microbes from growing but does not kill them. That is why the microbiology line sits on the spec sheet next to moisture.
04 — Reading a lot
From the pouch back to the field.
Every pouch carries a lot number. The lot record behind it holds five things, and you can ask us for them for any lot you received.
- 1
Farm
Which of our own farms or contracted growers around Naivasha grew the crop.
- 2
Plot
The field block it came from.
- 3
Harvest date
The day it was picked. Crop is washed, graded and in the dryers the same day.
- 4
Dryer run
The freeze-drying run it went through.
- 5
Packing date
The day it was cut and packed into metalized pouches.
Record our lot number against your own batch at goods-in. That one line links your finished product to our records if you ever need to trace it.
05 — Documents and samples
What comes with a sample, a pilot and a shipment.
With a sample: the spec sheet for each ingredient. Samples are free and shipped globally from the plant at Lake Naivasha. On request: the certificates your approval file needs, including USDA Organic, EU Organic, FSSC 22000 and OU kosher, and confirmation of our FDA food facility registration.
With a pilot run: full paperwork. There is no minimum order; pilot runs are developed with you, run small at the plant, then scaled. With supply: scheduled lots ship from the plant by sea from Mombasa or by air, each pouch with its lot number. Into the US, AGOA gives duty-free entry, extended to December 31, 2028.
To request a sample, use the contact form with your name, company and work email, and tell us which ingredients, which cut and what you are making. We send each sample with its spec sheet, so your team can compare the two from the first delivery. For working with the sample on the bench, see rehydration and use.
Questions
Questions buyers ask about our specifications.
Does every FD Harvest ingredient have a spec sheet?
Yes. Every ingredient has a spec sheet, and it comes with each sample. It covers the ingredient and cut, organic status, origin, the moisture target, micro testing, packaging, shelf life and storage.
Who sets the moisture target on the spec sheet?
It is agreed with you at trial, together with the cut and the lot size. That way the sheet describes the ingredient your product needs.
Are FD Harvest lots micro-tested?
Yes. Lots are micro-tested in our own lab at the plant. Tell us at trial what your product requires, especially if there is no cook step after the ingredient goes in.
How do I trace an FD Harvest lot?
Each metalized pouch carries a lot number. The lot record behind it gives the farm, plot, harvest date, dryer run and packing date, and we can give you those details for any lot you received.
How are FD Harvest ingredients packed?
In metalized pouches, packed straight after drying, each with a lot number. Bulk or retail-ready packing is available.
What shelf life is on the spec sheet?
Three years in sealed packaging. Keep pouches sealed, cool, dry and out of direct light, and reseal after opening.
Can the specification be made to my requirements?
Yes. Cut, moisture target and lot size are set with you at trial, and custom cuts, powders and blends are developed with you, piloted small at the plant, then scaled.
Contact us to discuss your product requirements.
Tell us which ingredients, which cut and what you are making. We ship free samples from the plant, each with its spec sheet.
Contact us