Excerpts from the presentation: How much investment is needed to get into freeze-drying? How complex is freeze-drying? What products appear to have the greatest potential? What markets seem important for freeze-dried foods? Questions such as these are constantly being referred to the Department of Agriculture. This talk supplies some answers. Let's first look at freeze-drying's past, outline some general principles, and examine the process, products, and present volumes. Then, we shall discuss business considerations. We end up with an overall appraisal of industry prospects.