Frozen Food Safety

Freezing is the best way to preserve foods and keep the fresh taste and quality intact. It is far more better option than canning, as freezing preserves the flavor, taste, nutrition and color effectively. With freezing, we can enjoy out of season fruits and vegetables all the year round. Frozen meat, fish, fruits and vegetables can be left uncooked in the freezer; saving you the constant trips to the grocery. As long as the foods are stored at zero to sub-zero temperatures, any type of food can be frozen. However, it is necessary to learn the proper freezing techniques to save the food from getting freezer burn. You should also keep in mind that frozen foods require proper care. They must be kept at constant zero to sub-zero temperatures or the microbes will become active, causing food poisoning and other infections. In the same way, you should also take care when buying and storing packaged frozen foods. Make sure that the store keeps the food items under proper freezing conditions. There are also a variety of other safety issues that you must know regarding frozen foods. Go through the various safety tips for frozen foods given below to know more.

Safety Tips For Frozen Food

• Other than eggs with shells, almost any type of food can be frozen safely. However, there are some foods that simply don’t freeze easily and their quality gets affected because of freezing. Raw meat can be frozen for a longer duration without any noticeable change in the quality.
• Keeping the foods frozen at 0° F will keep them safe. This is because freezing eliminates the microorganisms that cause food spoilage and food borne diseases. However, if the food is kept frozen for an extended period of time, then be assured that the taste would ultimately suffer.
• Freezing destroys all the bacteria, yeast and molds in the food. But once the frozen food is thawed, these organisms activate and multiply. As such, the thawed foods should be consumed immediately.
• The quality and safety of frozen foods depends a lot on the freshness of the foods before freezing. Foods which were very fresh when frozen retain much of their taste when thawed than foods which were not fresh and low in quality. So, it is best to freeze foods as soon as possible, when not in use, rather than later.
• Freezing does not destroy the nutrients in foods but a significant portion of the nutrients do degenerate. However, in frozen meats, there is a very little change in the nutrient content.
• Fresh uncooked fruits and vegetables contain enzymes that promote various chemical reactions. The chemical reactions because of the enzymes are responsible for the deterioration of foods. Freezing cannot stop the enzyme activity, but it does slow the rate of chemical reactions. While the acids in the frozen foods can neutralize the enzyme, the vegetables must be partially cooked before freezing.
• Check for the packing in store-bought frozen foods as the quality and safety depends a lot on proper packaging.