What’s a diet tip that most health-conscious people are frowning upon but actually has some truth behind it? Frozen foods – as in frozen raw meat, poultry, seafoods and finished goods – actually contribute to a healthy diet.
But there’s a catch, these foods should be frozen and stored properly as soon as possible to keep the product integrity. This can be achieved through different kinds of freezing methods such as blast freezing or cold storage, two services that cold and dry storage provider METS Logistics Inc., is an expert on. Just like how METS Logistics Inc., an all-in cold and dry storage company, knows a thing or two about keeping products at their best quality, by keeping it fresh and keeping it frozen.
According to METS, the most popular frozen products stored in their facility that can be seen in the local grocery store are livestock products such as meat, chicken, fish, and processed items like hotdog, bacon, chorizo, ham, longganisa, tapa, shawarma, marinated chicken, luncheon meat. They also mentioned dairy products such as all purpose cream and ice cream. But which of these frozen goods are actually healthy?
Cool option for healthier meals
It’s true there are some myths surrounding frozen products as the “unhealthy” choice for people who just want to eat a quick and convenient meal. However, with the advancement in technology and brands targeting the health conscious market, frozen foods can be as healthy as their fresh counterparts.
First let’s examine fresh produce such as vegetables and fruits. While freshly picked produce sounds good in theory, when they harvest a fruit or vegetable before it’s fully ripe, this will lead to its immediate nutritional content breakdown. By the time the produce ends up on the dinner table, its nutritional value will then be slightly compromised.
Now compare it to frozen foods. Produce are usually hand picked when they’re fully ripe and are immediately sent to blast freezers to prevent nutrient loss. This blast freezing process works by rapidly bringing down the temperature of the food, improving the quality and taste while helping maintain its integrity. Being one of the industry leaders when it comes to cold storage, METS Logistics includes blast freezing as one of their services in their storage facilities.
Generally, frozen foods retain their vitamins and minerals and there is no change to the carbohydrate, protein, fat content, and other nutritional content. While it’s true that the freezing process can cause some nutrients to deteriorate, the majority of the nutrients are essentially locked in. When it comes to choosing between frozen foods or fresh foods sitting on shelves for long periods of time that have been transported by truck, plane, or boat, the frozen option is now seen as the healthier choice.
Additionally, frozen foods can also be a convenient and affordable way to incorporate foods from every food group in a diet regimen. These are not limited to produce or livestock products but it essentially includes whole grains, fruits, protein and dairy products which are all subjected to freezing.
How to make the right choice for frozen foods?
While there’s a variety of options available in the market, not all frozen foods are created equal. The nutritional value of the frozen products is dependent on many factors. One of which is the way the frozen foods are stored.
For METS Logistics, they take pride in helping their clients retain the freshness and nutritional value of the products they store. Talking from their experiences with storing frozen produce and meat, they strictly maintain their Cold Room temperature from -18ºC to -20ºC. This is monitored hourly by their staff to ensure the product integrity as they treat their client’s customers as their own.
For maximum protection, METS shared that they use stretch wraps for prevention of environmental elements and moisture buildups. Lastly, METS Logistics enforce the use of plastic pallets over the traditional use of wood pallets for storage. As plastics are less penetrable than wood, they do not absorb bacteria or other elements that can cause product contamination.
Another way to make sure of its nutritional value is to read the label before purchase. It is best to look out for unnecessary preservatives or additives used in its storage that can affect the amount of nutrients the food originally has. Nowadays, more food companies have innovated or outsourced storage facilities to freeze their foods without those unnecessary ingredients. Freezing itself is a preservation technique, hence making minimally-processed foods the healthier option.
Staying healthy can be as easy as knowing the process behind the storage of food. When it comes to the better choice for storage needs, METS Logistics is the cool partner that takes businesses further. They offer a modern cold storage facility and warehousing facilities in key areas in the country such as Cavite, Cebu, and Cagayan de Oro. Visit www.facebook.com/MetsLogisticsIncOfficial or contact (046) 482 0384 for more information.
ADVT.