Frozen Vegetables - Health Benefits and Risks

Health Benefits and Risks

In general, boiling vegetables can cause them to lose vitamins. In particular, vitamin C and folic acid are susceptible to loss during the commercial process. Studies have also shown that thawing frozen vegetables before cooking can accelerate the loss of vitamin C.

An advantage that frozen vegetables have over canned is that many brands contain little or no added salt because the freezing process by itself is able to stop bacterial growth. However, many canned vegetable brands with little or no sodium have become available and many frozen brands do have salt added for more flavour.

Over the years, there has been controversy as to whether frozen vegetables are better or worse than fresh ones. Generally, reports show that frozen vegetables are as nutritionally beneficial when compared to fresh ones.

According to the American Food and Drug Administration, based on a 1998 report, frozen vegetables have the same nutrients and health benefits as their fresh vegetables. A 2003 Austrian study found that frozen vegetables are nutritionally better than out-of-season imported fresh ones.

However, there may be some risk in eating poorly cooked frozen vegetables. For example, a 2007 Australian study found that frozen vegetables may contain a bacterium called Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis (MAP) which can thrive in extreme cold and hot temperatures.

Not all products classified as frozen vegetables can be viewed as health foods. On 2 June 2003, the USDA classified frozen French fries as a frozen vegetable.