The Freezer Is Officially Cool Again
No longer an “unfashionable” preservation method, the freezer is officially cool again. Here are some of the cold, hard facts explaining why…
Fresh from the freezer:
When you buy “fresh” fruit and veg at the supermarket, the description can be misleading. Many supermarket vegetables are stored for weeks as it can take some time to sort, transport and distribute harvested produce to shops. During this time, vitamins and minerals can be slowly lost from the food through oxidation. On the other hand, frozen vegetables get picked, washed and blanched within the hour - they are frozen in peak condition, soon after harvesting and so can often be higher in nutrients than their “fresh” counterparts. Freezing is nature’s pause button, locking in the nutrients found in food.
Guardians of goodness:
Research shows that Research shows that if done properly, freezing is the best method of food preservation to lock in micronutrients, including proteins, vitamins and minerals.
Frozen assets:
The cost of food waste is not only hurting the planet, our bank accounts are suffering too. By embracing your freezer and all the great ingredients that can be stored within it, it’ll be much easier to manage portion sizes and reduce waste, ultimately reducing your groceries bill.
Free from the nasty stuff:
Freezing is a great way of preserving food because you don’t have to use chemical preservatives. Frozen products don’t need added preservatives because microorganisms don’t grow when the temperature of the food is below −9.5 °C; it’s just being frozen in time until you are hungry. Freezing is one of the oldest, simplest and purest means of preserving foods, it’s an entirely natural process.
Give waste the cold shoulder:
Roughly one third of all the food produced for human consumption across the world is wasted every year with food waste known to be responsible for 6% of global greenhouse gas emissions. Trewin Restorick, chief executive of environmental charity Hubbub, said: “If food waste was a country, it would be the world’s third biggest contributor to climate change”. As we struggle to feed the world’s growing population, whilst protecting the world itself, it’s never been more important to tackle food waste, and frozen food can play a crucial role in this challenge. BFFF (British Frozen Food Federation) research has shown that switching from fresh to frozen can actually reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
