by What exactly is frozen food?
frozen food refers to any food that has been altered from its natural state through various methods of food processing such as canning, freezing, dehydration, or the addition of preservatives and other ingredients. These processing methods are used to extend the shelf life of foods, reduce waste, and make foods more convenient to consume. However, they also remove beneficial nutrients and fiber from foods while adding sodium, sugar, and unhealthy fats.
How are foods processed?
There are several common methods used to Process Foods:
– Canning: Foods are sealed in an airtight container like a can to kill microbes and prevent spoiling. Canned foods last up to 5 years without refrigeration. However, canning requires the use of preservatives like salt and sugar to prevent bacterial growth. It also leaches nutrients from foods into the can liquids.
– Freezing: Flash freezing at very low temperatures preserves the quality, texture and nutrients of foods. It only extends shelf life up to 1 year. However, some frozen meals are high in sodium, fat, and preservatives.
– Dehydration: By removing moisture from foods through techniques like spray drying, foods can last without refrigeration for months to years. But dehydration destroys water-soluble vitamins.
– Addition of preservatives: Chemical preservatives like sodium benzoate are added to frozen food to kill microbes over long shelf lives. But some preservatives are linked to health issues.
– Use of oils and fats: Partially hydrogenated oils high in trans fats are often used to improve texture and extend shelf life. But trans fats raise heart disease risk.
– Addition of salt, sugar and flavors: These non-nutritive ingredients make frozen food highly palatable but nutrient poor and linked to health problems in excess.
Nutrition problems with Processed Food
frozen foods have certain nutritional problems which impact health:
– Low in fiber – Most processing methods remove dietary fiber from foods which is important for digestive and heart health. Low-fiber diets are a risk factor for constipation, diverticulitis, and heart disease.
– High in additives – Food additives like colorings, flavors, stabilizers are added. Many additive-rich foods are linked to behavioral problems in children. Some additives are potential carcinogens.
– Increased saturated and trans fats – Partially hydrogenated oils and other added fats increase intake of unhealthy fats linked to obesity, diabetes, heart disease.
– Excess sodium – 75% of Americans’ sodium intake comes from frozen food. High sodium raises blood pressure and heart disease risk.
– Added sugars – Sugar, corn syrup, etc. added to packaged foods provide empty calories but little nutrition. Excess sugar is implicated in weight gain, diabetes, fatty liver disease.
– Presence of chemical preservatives – Some preservatives like BPA are potential endocrine disruptors linked to issues like reproductive problems and cancer. Their long-term effects are uncertain.
– Loss of essential nutrients – Processing can destroy vitamins, minerals and phytochemicals through techniques like extreme heating. Nutrient-poor diets fail to meet micronutrient needs.
Health problems associated with processed food
Given their poor nutritional quality and composition, frozen food are linked to a number of diet-related health problems:
– Obesity – Highly processed junk foods are linked to overeating and obesity due to added fats and sugars triggering hunger. Obesity raises risks of diabetes, heart issues, cancer.
– Heart disease – Diets high in frozen food providing excess sodium, unhealthy fats, sugar are linked to higher blood pressure, heart attacks, strokes due to effects on cholesterol, triglycerides levels.
– Type 2 Diabetes – Refined carbs and sugars in processed snacks and fast foods can cause blood sugar spikes and crashes raising diabetes risk over time due to chronic inflammation.
– Some cancers – Foods preserved with nitrites are linked to stomach cancer while diets high in processed meat are implicated in colorectal cancer due to formation of carcinogenic compounds.
– Fatty liver disease – Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease is linked to metabolic syndrome components like obesity, high blood sugar which result from poor quality diets based on frozen food and sugar.
– Mental health issues – Preservatives and dyes in frozen food may impact mood, cognition and behavior in sensitive individuals according to some research studies.
Money Singh is a seasoned content writer with over four years of experience in the market research sector. Her expertise spans various industries, including food and beverages, biotechnology, chemical and materials, defense and aerospace, consumer goods, etc.
