Frozen food can be even more nutritious than supposedly fresh produce in a supermarket, a new study has found.
Most of the fruit and veg found in the freezer, things like peas, are frozen very soon after harvest, so preserving the levels of vitamins and minerals.
However, the long delays in getting fresh food from the field to the store often leads to a reduction in the level of beneficial compounds.
In some cases fruit and vegetables sold as fresh will have been held in warehouses for months on end.
On ice: Contrary to popular belief frozen vegetables can be more nutritious than fresh greens
Scientists at the Centre for Food Innovation at Sheffield Hallam University say it is time to junk the common belief that frozen means inferior.
They highlighted research that shows, for example, that some 77per cent of vitamin C in a green bean is lost during seven days of storage.
At the same time there is evidence that cooked frozen green peas contain higher levels of beta-carotene, which converts into Vitamin A in the body, than cooked fresh peas.
Researcher Charlotte Harden, said her own research among 37 varieties of produce found no nutritional difference between frozen and fresh items.
'We must disregard the mistaken view that ‘fresh’ food is always better for us than frozen food,' she said. 'Frozen food can be nutritionally comparable or in some cases nutritionally superior.
'We are not surprised by these results, as our findings correlate with many other recently published reports.'
Director-General of the British Frozen Food Federation, Brian Young, said: “Fast and organised methods of harvest-to-freeze have evolved which minimise loss of nutrients.
'In contrast, ‘fresh' food can spend up to a month in the chain of producers, wholesalers and retailers before they reach customers.
'During this time we know that product deterioration takes place - to the extent that they can have lower nutritional value than frozen equivalents.'
The research was carried out to help local council caterers to decide on the best choice of food for school dinners.
Chairman of the Local Authority Caterers Association, Beverley Baker, said: 'This new report supports our long held belief that there is no significant difference in nutritional quality between fresh and frozen produce.
'We strongly believe that both have a place in the provision of healthy school meals.
'From a school catering perspective, a combination of both fresh and frozen presents advantages in terms of storage and preparation as well as optimum use of cooking facilities.'
Ref: mailonline
