Preserving Nutritional Value with Frozen Foods

Consuming fruits and vegetables in season is important both for their nutritional value and sustainability. However, nutrient loss in harvested produce begins from that very moment. It is possible, though, to keep nutritional value at minimum loss levels. The solution lies in frozen foods, which also make our lives easier through their practicality. As the healthy eating trend rises globally and the preference for fruits and vegetables increases, consuming these foods without losing their nutritional value has become critically important. Among the best options for consuming fruits and vegetables that maintain their freshness year-round amid today's busy lifestyle are frozen products. Kitchen Products and Margarine Manufacturers Association (MÜMSAD) General Coordinator, Food Engineer Ebru Akdağ: "Harvested fruits and vegetables typically take around seven days to reach the sales point and then to our tables. [caption id="attachment_125452" align="aligncenter"] MÜMSAD General Coordinator, Food Engineer Ebru Akdağ[/caption] During this journey, products continue to lose nutritional value. Frozen foods, on the other hand, are produced by facilities built close to harvest areas, allowing products to be shock-frozen in a short time. The high technology applied ensures that products are frozen without losing their nutritional value. Frozen foods, recommended for their preservation of nutritional value and reliability, also make life easier through their practicality and the ability to be stored in a deep freezer while maintaining nutritional value throughout their shelf life," she said. Stating that fruit and vegetable consumption is essential to healthy nutrition, Ebru Akdağ said, "We can also freeze and store fruits and vegetables that we buy in season at home ourselves. Although this is a good storage method, we should know that there is nutrient loss during the slow home-freezing process.

The best freezing process is done using the 'Individual Quick Freezing' IQF method applied in the food industry. In this process, fruits and vegetables are shock-frozen at -40 degrees, and the center temperature of the products drops to -18 degrees in as short as 5-8 minutes. Thanks to this process, unlike what is done at home, cell membrane cracking is prevented, small ice crystals form in the cell sap, and nutrient loss is prevented.

During slow home-freezing, the cell membranes of fruits and vegetables crack, causing some of their sap to be released, and some nutrient loss occurs in the products," she said. Drawing attention to the increased understanding of food safety's importance during the pandemic period, Akdağ continued: "The pandemic period that we have been fighting for over a year has caused some of our consumption habits to be reshaped. On one hand, we need to avoid excessive food stockpiling, while on the other hand, we are in a period where we need to store food at home in a way that reduces shopping frequency. Foods that could help reduce shopping frequency and be stored for longer periods while preserving nutritional value came to the fore even more during this period. Frozen foods, with these advantages, began to occupy more space on shopping lists," she said.