Food and Beverages Tech Review: Specials Magazine

When F&B manufacturers bring products to market, they need certainty. Certainty that an açaí powder will keep its delicate vitamins, that a dehydrated strawberry will deliver the taste and crunch of fresh fruit and that a soup mix developed in Brazil will clear U.S. regulatory standards. For over six decades, Liotécnica, a specialist in food ingredient innovation and drying technologies with a strong emphasis on natural, high-quality solutions, has delivered that certainty Founded in 1964, the company offers the full spectrum of dehydration with Brazil’s largest freeze-drying capacity alongside vacuum, hot-air and spray drying. This breadth allows brands to balance performance and cost because each drying method affects products differently. Freeze-drying best preserves delicate nutrients and textures but costs more. At the same time, hot-air or vacuum-dried formats work well for applications with tight margins and spray-dried powders excel for instant beverages and flavorings. Whatever the method, the goal is to extend shelf life beyond 12 months while preserving nutrition, flavor and texture. “Drying is not just about removing water. It is about protecting what makes each ingredient valuable,” says Federico Alfredo Kladt Kladt, director of R&D, innovation and regulatory affairs. Beyond dehydration, Liotécnica leveraged its moisture control and ingredient processing expertise to become one of South America's few malt extract producers. It operates a dedicated facility that supplies high-quality extracts to enhance bakery and chocolate products, adding texture in crackers and masking offnotes in cocoa. A third factory produces instant jellies, beverages, soups and nutrition programs, with global leaders like Herbalife relying on Liotécnica to supply entire product lines. These pillars, dehydration, malt extract and dry mixes, position Liotécnica as a partner in multiple categories. What sets Liotécnica apart is its flexible contract manufacturing model. Some clients arrive with an idea, relying on the R&D team to develop formulas, source raw materials and packaging, and manage production and regulatory approvals. When clients are uncertain about technical choices, it advises which drying method works best for their product. Others bring established recipes and count on it for confidential, consistent manufacturing. For proprietary formulations, Liotécnica signs NDAs, treating client recipes with the same security as their own IP. A U.S. client once envisioned a soup that could retail for just one dollar, an ambitious target requiring careful ingredient selection and process optimization. Liotécnica handled the entire process from developing the formulation, producing samples, refining the recipe through several rounds of feedback, designing English- language packaging in Brazil, and navigating regulatory approvals for entry into the U.S. market. Today, that soup sits on American shelves.