It goes by many names. Freeze drying, lyophilization, or cryodesiccation is a form of dehydration that involves freezing the product to remove its water content and then removing the ice by sublimation – this means going from the solid to the gaseous state without going through the liquid phase. Freeze dryers are widely used in the pharmaceutical industry to increase the shelf life of products such as vaccines and other injectables. Due to their ability to best preserve the flavors, freeze dryers are used for food preservation in the food industry by dehydrating high-value products such as seasonal fruits or coffee. Industrial freeze drying systems are usually comprised of multiple components including vacuum pumps, stainless steel condensers, some form of heating and lastly, a chamber for drying where the materials are placed and processed.