Tip of the Week
Are frozen vegetables suitable for eating raw in smoothies and salads?
Not unless they are labelled as “ready to eat”!
Frozen vegetables not labelled as ready to eat are not suitable for eating raw from frozen. They must be cooked before eating
Bacteria such as Listeria monocytogenes can be present in dust and soil so are most likely to be found in vegetables that grow close to the ground. This can then contaminate machinery during the packing or processing stage, resulting in contamination of the food being packed. Some bacteria can still live at very low temperatures on frozen food. When eaten, the bacteria can cause Listeriosis, a life-threatening illness. Cooking frozen vegetables kills any bacteria present.
Alert
Only use/eat foods raw from the freezer if they are labelled as “Ready to eat”. Otherwise always follow manufacturers cooking instructions
Weekly Food Fact
How did commercially frozen food start? Clarence Birdseye was working in Canada as a fur trapper when he noticed the fish they caught, which immediately froze in the sub-zero temperature, remained fresh when defrosted to eat months later. In 1920 Birdseye began experimenting with frozen peas.
