Frozen foods: truths and misconceptions

Food and Wellbeing, Community

Despite the increasing consumption of frozen products, there is still much confusion about what happens to food in terms of quality during and after the freezing process.

It is widely believed that frozen foods do not possess the same nutritional values and properties as fresh products. However, this is a misconception as frozen foods can provide freshness and quality just like fresh foods, if not even more so!

Indeed, a product that is processed and frozen within a few hours of being harvested will maintain its nutritional value unchanged. On the contrary, fresh food stored at room temperature will inevitably lose some of its valuable properties within a few days. An example of this is the vitamin C or folic acid found in vegetables and fruits, which are subject to significant reduction over time but remain unchanged in frozen foods.

Another false myth about frozen foods concerns the bright color of vegetables, which is often thought to be due to the use of food coloring. In reality, their color comes from the fact that these products are lightly blanched before being frozen, in order to prevent enzyme activity. This allows for the preservation of their natural color.

In addition, many people associate frozen food with a process that negatively impacts the environment: again, this is a misconception. In fact, recent research shows that the consumption of frozen food has less impact on the environment than many other foods, for numerous reasons: there is less waste, as having more time to consume them hardly leads to product spoilage; there is a significant saving in water, as the food in the package is free of waste and already washed; and in energy, as the preparation time is much reduced.

Finally, frozen foods, not being subject to seasonality, allow for a varied diet throughout the year and do not experience the price increases typical of fresh products.

Freezing process: how does it work?

The deep-freezing process used at the industrial level involves the use of special machinery thanks to which a temperature below -18 °C is reached very quickly: this treatment results in the formation of micro-crystals of water, which does not affect the structure of the products, but rather protects them from spontaneous spoilage while preserving their nutritional heritage intact.

It is highly likely that the perception that frozen foods are not an optimal choice originates from the association of industrial processing with less genuine or “invasive” treatments. However, cold represents the most natural preservation method as it completely eliminates the need for artificial additives or preservatives.

Quality and transparency: always delivering the best

Asiago Food has always put customer satisfaction first. That is why it is committed every day not only to the selection of the highest quality products, following the strictest controls in the collection centers, but also constantly monitoring the production cycle step by step, starting from the origin of the fresh product to the points of sale.

Thanks to the use of the most innovative and cutting-edge technologies, we have the opportunity to freeze our products at the most appropriate times to achieve excellent results, through the use of IQF (Individually Quick Freezing), which preserves the organoleptic qualities of the product.

Our system allows us to trace the history of each reference and its processing, thanks to punctual documentation that reconstructs the process. The internal self-control system, implemented according to HACCP standards, gives us the ability to monitor and trace all stages of processing, packaging, storage, transportation and distribution, so as to ensure full compliance with quality and process standards.

We strive to clearly communicate what we do and how we do it every day, to ensure the highest level of transparency possible. That is why our company is open to buyers and clients on select days throughout the year.