Blood plasma
A significant turning point for freeze drying occurred during World War II. Blood plasma and penicillin were needed to treat the wounded in the field, and because of the lack of refrigerated transport, many serum supplies spoiled before reaching their recipients. The freeze-drying process was developed as a commercial technique that enabled blood plasma and penicillin to be rendered chemically stable and viable without refrigeration. In the 1950s–1960s, freeze drying began to be viewed as a multi-purpose tool for both pharmaceuticals and food processing.