FDA Advises Cooking Frozen Vegetables to Eliminate Harmful Bacteria
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) advises consumers to follow cooking instructions for frozen vegetables, as freezing does not reliably eliminate harmful bacteria. This guidance emphasizes that frozen produce, while often comparable in nutritional value to fresh options, should not be assumed ready-to-eat if labeled for cooking. A 2015 laboratory study comparing four vitamin-related compounds in eight fruits and vegetables, including broccoli, carrots, spinach, and peas, found frozen samples to be nutritionally comparable to, and sometimes superior to, their fresh counterparts. A separate 2017 study further supported these findings, showing no significant differences in vitamin C, beta-carotene, and folate between fresh, frozen, and refrigerated-fresh categories across eight fruits and vegetables, with frozen often outperforming refrigerated-fresh. These studies, however, were associated with the industry-affiliated Frozen Food Foundation.
