OCI Sharing: Is frozen food not as good as fresh food？

The long shelf life of quick-frozen food makes many people think that it is not as healthy as fresh food. It's better to eat fresh food at ordinary times. But is that really the truth?

 

The safety of frozen food is guaranteed. Quick-frozen foodstuffs are those subjected to the ‘quick-freezing’ process, in which the temperature zone of maximum crystallisation is spanned as rapidly as possible and the product is then held at a temperature of -18℃or lower. As a product of industrial assembly line, frozen food not only freezes quickly and thoroughly, but also has a series of strict process requirements and safety standards. In contrast, the safety of fresh food is more difficult to confirm. All kinds of fresh food bought in supermarket may be more likely to breed microorganisms because they are exposed to the room temperature for too long. Studies have shown that fresh agricultural products are the main cause of foodborne disease outbreaks. Since 1990, there have been more than 400 outbreaks of foodborne diseases related to fresh food. As a consequence, eating frozen food may be safer than fresh food under specific conditions.

Quick-frozen food also has a high nutritional value. During quick freezing, the inside and outside of food cell membrane reach the ice crystallization temperature in a very short time, and numerous small ice crystals are formed. These small ice crystals almost do not damage the cell tissue of food, once thawed, they can basically return to the previous state. A team from the University of California, Davis found that there was no significant difference in the contents of cellulose, minerals and phenols between fresh and frozen state of 8 kinds of fruits and vegetables (peas, mung beans, corn, spinach, carrots, broccoli, strawberries and blueberries). A similar study conducted by the University of Georgia also concluded that there was no change in the contents of vitamin A, vitamin C and folic acid from fruits and vegetables after frozen treatment. Furthermore, some nutrients in food can even be better preserved by quick freezing. Researchers from the University of Sheffield Harlem found that the content of β-Carotene from cooked frozen green beans is higher than that from cooked fresh green beans.

 

So, really don't worry about quick-frozen food without nutrition and safety. Quick-frozen food is cheaper and easier to cook, which we have no reason to refuse.

 

OCI was founded in Beijing in 2006. It was the trailblazer for providing chemical and food compliance service in China. OCI has a rich experience in the declaration of new food related products, and grasps the latest industry regulations in time, providing the professional, efficient and fast service for consumers who want to create more economic benefits in Chinese market. 

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