Frozen vegetables
Encyclopedia
Frozen vegetables may be commercially packaged or frozen at home. A wide range of frozen vegetable
s are sold in supermarkets, usually packaged in either rectangular boxes or plastic bags.
Common frozen vegetables found in supermarket
s 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
and Green Giant
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 very long 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.
While many consider frozen vegetables to be inferior to their fresh counterparts, the opposite is true in many cases. Vegetables purchased in the produce section of supermarkets have spent multiple days in transit, and many of the original nutrients will have leached out. Frozen vegetables are frozen at their freshest, maintaining their nutrients. Freezing does change the taste and texture of the vegetables, however, making them less savory to some consumers.
and folic acid
are susceptible to loss during the commercial process. Studies have also shown that thawing frozen vegetables before cooking can accelerate the loss of vitamin C.
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 low or no sodium
have also become available, and many frozen brands do have salt added for more flavor.
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 as nutritionally beneficial when compared to 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. A 2003 Austrian study found that frozen vegetables are nutritionally better than out-of-season imported fresh ones.
However, there may be some risk in eating poorly cooked frozen vegetables. For example, a 2007 Australian study found that frozen vegetables may contain a bacterium called Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis
(MAP) which can thrive in both extreme cold and hot temperatures.
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.
Vegetable
The noun vegetable usually means an edible plant or part of a plant other than a sweet fruit or seed. This typically means the leaf, stem, or root of a plant....
s are sold in supermarkets, usually packaged in either rectangular boxes or plastic bags.
Common frozen vegetables found in supermarket
Supermarket
A supermarket, a form of grocery store, is a self-service store offering a wide variety of food and household merchandise, organized into departments...
s include spinach
Spinach
Spinach is an edible flowering plant in the family of Amaranthaceae. It is native to central and southwestern Asia. It is an annual plant , which grows to a height of up to 30 cm. Spinach may survive over winter in temperate regions...
, broccoli
Broccoli
Broccoli is a plant in the cabbage family, whose large flower head is used as a vegetable.-General:The word broccoli, from the Italian plural of , refers to "the flowering top of a cabbage"....
, cauliflower
Cauliflower
Cauliflower is one of several vegetables in the species Brassica oleracea, in the family Brassicaceae. It is an annual plant that reproduces by seed...
, peas
PEAS
P.E.A.S. is an acronym in artificial intelligence that stands for Performance, Environment, Actuators, Sensors.-Performance:Performance is a function that measures the quality of the actions the agent did....
, corn
Maize
Maize known in many English-speaking countries as corn or mielie/mealie, is a grain domesticated by indigenous peoples in Mesoamerica in prehistoric times. The leafy stalk produces ears which contain seeds called kernels. Though technically a grain, maize kernels are used in cooking as a vegetable...
, yam
Yam (vegetable)
Yam is the common name for some species in the genus Dioscorea . These are perennial herbaceous vines cultivated for the consumption of their starchy tubers in Africa, Asia, Latin America and Oceania...
(in Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
), many others, and mixtures of these and other vegetables or other types of food, such as pasta
Pasta
Pasta is a staple food of traditional Italian cuisine, now of worldwide renown. It takes the form of unleavened dough, made in Italy, mostly of durum wheat , water and sometimes eggs. Pasta comes in a variety of different shapes that serve for both decoration and to act as a carrier for the...
or cheese
Cheese
Cheese is a generic term for a diverse group of milk-based food products. Cheese is produced throughout the world in wide-ranging flavors, textures, and forms....
. 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
Birds Eye
__FORCETOC__Birds Eye is an international brand of frozen foods owned by Pinnacle Foods in North America and by private equity group Permira in Europe....
and Green Giant
Green Giant
Green Giant and Le Sueur are brands of frozen and canned vegetables owned by General Mills. The mascot of Green Giant is the Jolly Green Giant....
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 very long shelf life
Shelf life
Shelf life is the length of time that food, drink, medicine, chemicals, and many other perishable items are given before they are considered unsuitable for sale, use, or consumption...
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.
While many consider frozen vegetables to be inferior to their fresh counterparts, the opposite is true in many cases. Vegetables purchased in the produce section of supermarkets have spent multiple days in transit, and many of the original nutrients will have leached out. Frozen vegetables are frozen at their freshest, maintaining their nutrients. Freezing does change the taste and texture of the vegetables, however, making them less savory to some consumers.
Health benefits and risks
In general, boiling vegetables can cause them to lose important nutrients, including vitamins and those that prevent cancer. In particular, vitamin CVitamin C
Vitamin C or L-ascorbic acid or L-ascorbate is an essential nutrient for humans and certain other animal species. In living organisms ascorbate acts as an antioxidant by protecting the body against oxidative stress...
and folic acid
Folic acid
Folic acid and folate , as well as pteroyl-L-glutamic acid, pteroyl-L-glutamate, and pteroylmonoglutamic acid are forms of the water-soluble vitamin B9...
are susceptible to loss during the commercial process. Studies have also shown that thawing frozen vegetables before cooking can accelerate the loss of vitamin C.
An advantage that frozen vegetables have over canned is that many brands contain little or no added salt
Sodium chloride
Sodium chloride, also known as salt, common salt, table salt or halite, is an inorganic compound with the formula NaCl. Sodium chloride is the salt most responsible for the salinity of the ocean and of the extracellular fluid of many multicellular organisms...
because the freezing process by itself is able to stop bacterial growth. However, many canned vegetable brands with low or no sodium
Sodium
Sodium is a chemical element with the symbol Na and atomic number 11. It is a soft, silvery-white, highly reactive metal and is a member of the alkali metals; its only stable isotope is 23Na. It is an abundant element that exists in numerous minerals, most commonly as sodium chloride...
have also become available, and many frozen brands do have salt added for more flavor.
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 as nutritionally beneficial when compared to fresh ones.
According to the Food and Drug Administration
Food and Drug Administration
The Food and Drug Administration is an agency of the United States Department of Health and Human Services, one of the United States federal executive departments...
, based on a 1998 report, frozen vegetables have the same nutrients and health benefits as their fresh counterparts. A 2003 Austrian study found that frozen vegetables are nutritionally better than out-of-season imported fresh ones.
However, there may be some risk in eating poorly cooked frozen vegetables. For example, a 2007 Australian study found that frozen vegetables may contain a bacterium called Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis
Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis
Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis is an obligate pathogenic bacterium in the genus Mycobacterium. It is often abbreviated M. paratuberculosis or M. avium ssp. paratuberculosis. It is the causative agent of Johne's disease, which affects ruminants such as cattle, and also perhaps...
(MAP) which can thrive in both extreme cold and hot temperatures.
Not all products classified as frozen vegetables can be viewed as health foods. On June 2, 2003, the USDA classified frozen French fries
French fries
French fries , chips, fries, or French-fried potatoes are strips of deep-fried potato. North Americans tend to refer to any pieces of deep-fried potatoes as fries or French fries, while in the United Kingdom, Australia, Ireland and New Zealand, long, thinly cut slices of deep-fried potatoes are...
as a frozen vegetable.