Why are freeze dried fruit so much more expensive than fresh fruit?

In order to appreciate the difference in price between fresh and freeze-dried fruit, you need to understand the weight comparison between the two. Freeze-dried foods have 98% of their water removed. This reduces the food's weight by approximately 90%, making it easier to handle and less costly to ship. For instance, 10 pounds of strawberries weigh only 1 pound when they are freeze dried. So if 10 pounds of frozen strawberries cost $1/pound, the raw material cost equals $10. When the 10 pounds of frozen strawberries are freeze dried, the final product weighs only 1 pound, but the raw material cost remains $10.

Added to the raw material costs are the other factors of production - labor, equipment, packaging, regulation compliance, and profit.

First answer by ID1160773010. Last edit by Freeze dry. Contributor trust: 42 [recommend contributor]. Question popularity: 56 [recommend question]