Frozen foods – The cold facts

All the facts you need from freezing to storing to defrosting

Frozen foods have played an important role in the British home ever since the first frozen ready meal appeared on our plates in 1953.

As food products get more sophisticated, so have us shoppers! Now, more than ever before, Mums want to know where our frozen food comes from and to feel informed about foods we buy.

So, when you're shopping for your family, you might want to keep up to date on food issues and how freezing food can benefit family life. The New Ice Age team and our three independent food experts are here to answer any questions on frozen foods – from nutritional advice to cost saving tricks and meal ideas and recipes – The New Ice Age is here to help you!

So, read on to feel confident about using frozen... how to store, how to keep your freezer regulated, the life-span of frozen foods, how to defrost your freezer, the nutritional and convenience and cost benefits of choosing frozen – and of course a whole many more things too!

 

 

 

 

 

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History of Frozen Food

It's been around for thousands of years!

It may sound like a modern invention but freezing food has been around for 3,000 years since the ancient Chinese!

In this section we see how Clarence Birdseye learnt the process from Native Americans who kept their fish fresh this way. We see how consumerism in the 1950s allowed frozen foods to become increasingly popular right up to this decade where families want to know exactly where their food comes from – exactly what this site is here for!

 

 

 

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Facts on Frozen

Freezing is an excellent means of preserving food.

This section gives you useful information on how to get the most from your freezer through proper storage and defrosting. 

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Frozen Food and Waste Reduction

Help  reduce food waste –e what you don't eat goes back in the freezer.

A study by WRAP (the Waste Resources Action Programme) found that, here in the UK, we throw away one third of the food we buy. We explain how this waste can be avoided buy buying frozen because, with frozen, it is easy to manage portion control and return what is not eaten to the freezer. 

 

 

 

 

Environmental Aspects

Buying frozen may well just save the day!

This page highlights energy savings made by freezing, carbon footprint issues and sustainability information.

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Frozen Meat and Poultry

In season all year round!

Frozen meats have a hugely extended shelf life, can be bought out of season and can often be better in quality – frozen Chicken Kievs for example encourage the sauce to stay inside!

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Frozen Fish

Frozen fish can be fresher than 'fresh' fish

Fish and seafood can start to decline in quality from the moment it is caught – so, come and see how freezing fish within hours of a catch, sometimes on board the fishing boat, can freeze in the goodness and preserve the fish's nutrients, taste and texture. 'Fresh' fish is sometimes not as fresh as we might hope because it can take days to reach your plate!

 

 

 

 

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Frozen Pizza, Pasta and Rice

Tests show that people prefer frozen pizzas to their chilled equivalents

Did you know that blind tasting invariably shows that people prefer frozen Pizza over chilled equivalents? Frozen pizza is popular with all the family – why not buy ready made pre-packaged pizzas and pizza bases and then create you own toppings? Including the kids in desining your pizza can be fun!

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Frozen Potato Products

Frozen chips can be 95% fat free!

Reveals some great stuff that most people just don't know. For example – oven chips contain fewer calories than low fat chocolate! 

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Frozen Fruit and Veg

Many fresh vegetables just don't contain as many nutrients as frozen veg

A fresh pea loses most of its nutrients within hours of picking – luckily frozen peas have the goodness locked in well beforet hey are lost! Like most vegetables, a pea is normally frozen within hours of picking and this locks in the nutrients for as long as they are frozen.

 

 

 

 

 

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Frozen Bakery and Bread

Save on that daily trip to the baker with frozen bread

By baking off small amounts of  bread and pasties from your freezer, you can maintain that freshly baked appearance, aroma and texture throughout the day without an early morning visit to the bakery each day!

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Frozen Appetisers and Buffet Items

Frozen buffet platters save time allowing you to enjoy your party!

Buffet items can be thawed and served for ultimate convenience at busy parties and are a cost effective solution to hand made alternatives.

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Frozen Deserts

Your favourite desserts all year round

This page explains how some of the UK's best loved desserts are now more usually associated with the freezer – such as yummy tasting profteroles, gateaux and cheesecakes. Scottish rasberries, exotic fruits, English Strawberries – they're all available all year round with frozen!

 

 

 

 

 

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Frozen Meals and pre-packaged foods

Produce delicious meals at the last minute!

These are some of the most innovating foods in the frozen food market today. Shelf lives are dramatically extended allowing you to keep meals in storage for months and then produce them at next to no notice! 

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Frozen Food for Parties, Functions and Special Occasions

Spend less time in the kitchen and more time with your guests

Whether it's Christmas, Mothers' Day, Valentines or Easter – frozen offers a vast selection of time saving recipies so that you can spend more time with your feet up!

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Freezer Maintenance 

Be kind to your freezer and it will be kind to your frozen foods

And finally (Yes, you do need to be kind to your freezer!) – from when and how to defrost to how to reduce your energy usage; we'll give you the information you need. But to help you manage that tricky situation if your freezer breaks down see Facts on Frozen.

 

 

 

 

 

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Why Not Join In!

Join our discussion on the benefits of frozen

The New Ice Age is your independent guide through the world of frozen. Enjoy our site and, if you like, why not contribute by asking us a question about frozen food. Or leave a comment at the bottom of this page.

If you want to discover anything – from the nutritional benefits of frozen to how to look after your freezer and from the cost saving benefits to the time saving opportunities it can provide then do drop us a line!

Alternatively, if you like to know where your food comes from, why not apply to become one of our Field Operatives? As an Operative you can go behind the scenes of frozen food, to film, to write and to publish your findings... apply to go behind the scenes of frozen.