12 Aug What You Need To Know About Frozen Food: A First-Hand Experience
This post was sponsored by the American Frozen Food Institute. All opinions are my own.
Almost every morning I toss frozen berries into my blender, which are the base of my smoothie. On days where I make pancakes, I use those frozen berries to make a berry compote which I top my pancakes and yogurt with. I oftentimes get asked how healthy frozen fruit is—or other frozen foods—and when I was invited to join the American Frozen Food Institute on a farm tour to see firsthand how Washington Red Raspberries are grown, harvested, and frozen I jumped at the opportunity. From the field to the freezer, I learned about the nutrition of frozen Washington State raspberries, and how the facilities and farms ensure quality and safety of frozen foods.
On the Farm
The first stop on the tour was Enfield Farms, where I got to see how raspberries and blueberries are grown in the fields and tasted the berries firsthand. Raspberries grown for freezing are specific varieties to allow for the harvesting and freezing process, so they stay intact.
Washington State raspberries for freezing
Washington State blueberries for freezing
In the fields
Later that day, I also visited Markwell Farms where I had the opportunity to ride the raspberry picker and the image below shows how the raspberries ready for harvesting are picked while leaving the berries that aren’t fully ripe on the bush. Employees then go through the picked raspberries and remove any branches and then place the raspberries into a case that goes to the processing plant. These raspberries are frozen within hours of harvest.
Riding the raspberry picker
A look inside the picker
In the Processing Plant
Enfield Farms has a processing plant on premise where the freshly picked raspberries are cooled VERY quickly before being packaged and stored in the freezer. The facility is impeccably clean and runs quite smoothly with a combination of smart technology and employees who continue to monitor the quality of the frozen raspberries. The raspberries I saw were being packaged into frozen bags that I buy regularly in New York, and now feel even more confident about purchasing them! It was also pretty awesome to learn that during the process, there is practically no food waste. Any “imperfect” raspberries are made into preserves (see in the image below).
Raspberries and picked and frozen within hours
“Imperfect” raspberries get pureed into preserves
Freezing and Nutrition
Research shows that freezing produce within hours of harvest preserves its nutritional content. The freezing process locks in the flavor, color, and nutrient content. Freezing is a pause button which helps maximize the nutritional value of frozen food, including raspberries.
Safety and Quality
At the moment that fruits, veggies, and proteins are harvested, degradation of the product begins due to the enzyme activity, organisms that can spoil the food, oxidation, and dehydration. However, high-quality food manufactures manage these issues in the following way:
- Enzyme Activity: In order to stop the enzyme activity, veggies, rice and pasta, and some fruit are blanched (or quickly exposing to boiling water or steam) before freezing. This process preserves the nutrition, color and texture of the food, and also stabilizes the product before freezing.
- Microorganism spoilage: Freezing halts the growth of microorganisms by making the environment too cold for them to thrive. Freezing does not kill microorganisms. The facilities and processing plant are impeccably clean and sanitary and blanching is also used to reduce the microbial load. Practicing rigorous personal hygiene before and after freezing is an essential part of this process and helps minimize the risk of contamination and spoilage. I witnessed all these factors firsthand at the plant.
- Oxidation: The product is limited the exposure to oxygen, water, and light during processing and packaging. This helps significantly reduce the degradation of the product due to oxidation.
- Dehydration and freezer burn: When food is improperly sealed it can lead to dehydration of the food and ultimately freezer burn. To prevent this, facilities use air-tight packaging materials, including moisture-vapor resistant packaging and ensuring that food is stored at a constant 0°F (±5°F).
Bottom Line: I am 100% confident in buying frozen food, especially frozen raspberries. Frozen food, including raspberries, use temperatures to preserve the food at its peak of freshness locking in the nutrients. Freezing allows you to enjoy your favorite fruits and veggies year-round. It is another tool in your arsenal for eating a healthy, balanced diet. The next time you go food shopping, take time to scout the frozen food aisle and stock up on some of your favorites, including frozen raspberries.
With farmer Mark Van Mersbergen at Markwell Farms
