Do Quick-Frozen Vegetables Lose Their Nutritional Value

Frozen vegetables have a long storage time. However, whether the nutritional value of frozen vegetables is retained. Do vegetables stored in the freezer for long periods produce nitrites like leftover vegetables?

There is little difference between the nutrients in frozen vegetables and fresh vegetables

Quick-freezing is the process of freezing a frozen product by rapidly passing it through a zone of maximum ice crystals and bringing its heat center tcenterture to below -18°C. Pre-treatment such as screening and washing is also carried out before quick-freezing. The vegetables are then sterilized and biologically inactivated using high temperature water or steam, depending on the type of vegetable.

What is the nutritional value and safety of quick-frozen vegetables?

Quick-frozen food retain their nutritional content well if they are properly preserved. They do not decline as quickly as fresh vegetables over time. It also does not produce large amounts of nitrates. Nitrites are produced by bacteria or by enzymes catalyzed by the vegetables themselves. The enzymes in frozen ones are inactivated during processing and the bacteria are inhibited from multiplying and being active during the low temperature process. As a result, nitrite in frozen ones is not significantly higher than in fresh one.

Research tests have shown that the loss of nutrients such as minerals, dietary fiber, and vitamin E in quick-frozen food is not significant. The polyphenolic antioxidants in vegetables are better stored under quick-freezing conditions. Quick-frozen ones may cause some loss of water-soluble vitamin C. But vegetables continue to lose nutrients from the time they are picked. These problems are also present in vegetables stored at room temperature, where the rate of vitamin C loss is lower in quick-frozen ones.

Conclusion

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