How safe are frozen foods?

It is a fact that the fast pace of modern life leaves us no time to cook the food we want, at least not every day. So we have turned to the quick and easy solution: frozen foods.

But what does frozen food mean?

Freezing is a way to keep food fresh for a very long time. When food freezes, the water inside it turns to ice and the whole thing becomes solid. Water usually freezes at 0 degrees Celsius, but in food it freezes at around -4 degrees Celsius. So when the temperature is -4 degrees Celsius or lower, the food is in the frozen state.

What happens to the nutrients in frozen foods?

Freezing does not affect the nutrients in food. The only change that may occur to a small extent is in the taste of some foods; however, their vitamins and minerals are preserved. In fact, research has found that some phytonutrients, such as anthocyanins (flavonoids), can be preserved particularly well during freezing. Any possible “degradation” of certain nutrients appears to be related not to chilling, but to blanching fruits and vegetables, a process that takes place before freezing.

Safety of frozen foods

Food can remain safe in the freezer for a long time, as low temperatures prevent microbes from growing. However, any microbes that are not “destroyed” may start growing again as the food thaws. This is why we should be especially careful about how and when we thaw the different foods we have frozen. Also, if food is thawed “rapidly,” the ice crystals that have formed will melt quickly, causing the food to lose its juices. In addition, freezing destroys food parasites such as trichinae and Toxoplasma, among others, and slows the enzymatic and chemical reactions that occur in food.

Quality of frozen foods

The quality of frozen foods depends on several factors. More specifically, it depends on their journey through the cold chain, from the moment the product is frozen until it is consumed. During freezing, you should pay particular attention to the following:

They should be very well packaged

Do not let them come into direct contact with refrigeration, as this may cause the food to dehydrate