Frozen vegetables
Frozen vegetables are vegetables that have had their temperature reduced and maintained to below their freezing point for the purpose of storage and transportation (often for far longer than their natural shelf life would permit) until they are ready to be eaten. They may be commercially packaged or frozen at home. A wide range of frozen vegetables are sold in supermarkets.
Examples of frozen vegetables which can be found in supermarkets include
Some popular brands include Birds Eye and Green Giant, as well as supermarkets' 'store brand' items.
Frozen vegetables have some advantages over fresh ones, in that they are available when the fresh counterpart is out-of-season, they have a very long
The history of frozen fruits can date back to the Liao Dynasty of China, with the "frozen" pear being a classic delicacy eaten by the Khitan tribes in the Northeastern region of China.[1] Modern frozen vegetables with the flash freezing technique was popularized by Clarence Birdseye in 1929.[2]
Nutrition
In general, boiling vegetables can cause them to lose vitamins. Thus, the process of
Over the years, there has been controversy as to whether frozen vegetables are better or worse than fresh ones. Generally, reports show that frozen vegetables are as nutritionally beneficial when compared to fresh ones.[5]
A 1997 study performed by the
An advantage that frozen vegetables have over canned is that many brands contain little or no added salt because the freezing process by itself is able to stop bacterial growth. However, many canned vegetable brands with little or no sodium have become available and many frozen brands do have salt added for more flavour.[10]
Safety
Frozen vegetables can be contaminated with certain pathogens like Listeria.[11] It is recommended they are cooked before consumption to avoid potential listeriosis illness.[12]
Food safety regulations limit the amount of pathogens such as Listeria to safe limits (100 CFU/g in Europe). Contamination with Listeria is rare and results in product recalls or alerts. Although there is a risk of Listeria starting to grow during improper thawing to exceed the 100 CFU/g limit, the risk of infection remains much lower than other kinds of ready-to-eat food such as smoked fish, cooked meat, and soft cheese.[13]
See also
- Frozen food
- Canned food
- Cold chain
References
- ^ Yi Ching, Leung. "Frozen pears: thirst-quenching Chinese treat from the Northeast!". www.zentopia-culture.com/. Leung Yi Ching. Retrieved 21 April 2017.[permanent dead link]
- ^ "Frozen Foods". Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Archived from the original on 2003-02-25.
- ^ Researchers preserve cancer-fighting properties in frozen broccoli
- PMID 11190845.
- PMID 19241586.
- ^ "NUTRIENT CONSERVATION IN CANNED, FROZEN AND FRESH FOODS". Archived from the original on 2014-04-17. Retrieved 2014-11-17.
- ^ "Nutritional Comparison of Fresh, Frozen and Canned Fruits and Vegetables". Archived from the original on 2014-11-29. Retrieved 2014-11-17.
- ^ "Are Frozen Vegetables Nutritious". Archived from the original on 2016-03-06. Retrieved 2014-09-11.
- .
- ^ Guidelines for a Low Sodium Diet
- S2CID 221619988.
- ^ "Listeria in frozen vegetables: How to reduce risks | EFSA". 20 April 2020.
- .