Frozen vegetables
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Frozen vegetables are commercially packaged vegetables that are sold in the frozen section of the store, usually packaged in either rectangular boxes or plastic bags.
Common frozen vegetables found in supermarkets include spinach, broccoli, cauliflower, peas, corn, yam (in Asia), many others, and mixtures of these and other vegetables or other types of food, such as pasta or cheese. They may be cut or processed some other way into a shape or form that is convenient for cooking or eating, and sometimes seasoned.
Some popular brands include Birds Eye, Green Giant and Hanover, though many supermarkets have their own store brands, too.
Frozen vegetables have some advantages over fresh ones, in that they are available when the fresh counterpart is out-of-season, they have a practically infinite shelf life when kept in a freezer, and that they often have been processed a step or more closer to eating. In many cases, they may be more economical to purchase than their fresh counterparts. Since they are already cooked, and will likely be cooked more once they enter the household, they are believed to be more sanitary than fresh vegetables.
Some feel that frozen vegetables are inferior for various reasons.[citation needed] Having been processed from their original form, they do not have the same taste as natural vegetables. Their uses in recipes are also more limited. Many are concerned[citation needed] that they may have lost nutrients through the processing, and may lose even more when cooked at home.[citation needed]
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[edit] Health benefits and risks
In general, boiling vegetables can cause them to lose important nutrients[citation needed], including vitamins[citation needed] and those that prevent cancer.[citation needed] In particular, Vitamins C and Folic acid are susceptible to loss during the commercial process.[citation needed]
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 not so much nutritionally different from fresh ones.
According to the Food and Drug Administration, based on a 1998 report, frozen vegetables have the same nutrients and health benefits as their fresh counterparts [1]. A 2003 Austrian study found that frozen vegetables are nutritionally better than out-of-season imported fresh ones [2].
However, there have been some risks found with eating frozen vegetables. For example, a 2007 Australian study found that frozen vegetables may contain a bacterium called "map," which can thrive in both extreme cold and hot temperatures. In addition, it may also be responsible for Crohn's disease. [3]
Not all products classified as frozen vegetables can be viewed as health foods. On June 2, 2003, the USDA classified frozen French fries as a frozen vegetable [4].
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
- How Frozen Vegetables are Made
- Nutrtion Australia - How nutritious are commercially-frozen vegetables compared to fresh vegetables?
