The Benefits of Fresh, Never-Frozen Meat (2024)

FAQs

Why is fresh never frozen better? ›

Ice crystals no matter the size can damage the cell walls inside of your protein and ruin its texture as well as destroy natural juices during the thawing process. If it ruins the taste, why would companies freeze the meat? The answer is simple, to extend the shelf life of the product.

The verdict! There's nothing wrong with frozen food; in fact, properly freezing meat can help tenderise it. Frozen cuts can be just as tasty as their fresh versions and retain their nutritional value as long as the freezing and defrosting process has been carried correctly.

While foods are in the process of thawing in the refrigerator (40 °F or less), they remain safe. After thawing, use ground meats, poultry, and fish within one or two additional days, and use beef, pork, lamb or veal (roasts, steaks, or chops) within three to five days.

Slow freezing creates large, disruptive ice crystals. During thawing, they damage the cells and dissolve emulsions. This causes meat to "drip" and lose juiciness.

Are Wendy's hamburgers really fresh and never frozen? Yes, Wendy's uses fresh, never frozen beef on every hamburger, every day. * We go the extra mile to ensure we are sourcing only the highest quality beef, and we transport fresh beef in refrigerated trucks to Wendy's restaurants thousands of times every week.

“The truth about fresh versus frozen is that both have the same nutrients, unless frozen produce has sauces or sugars added,” says Beal. If your favorite vegetable or fruit is out of season or is more affordable frozen, frozen is often the better choice.

According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), there is little change in nutritional value during freezer storage. But ultimately, whether or not freezing food changes the nutritional makeup depends on the exact food being frozen, and whether or not it's blanched or cooked first.

A healthy balanced diet can include protein from meat, as well as from fish and eggs or non-animal sources such as beans and pulses. Meats such as chicken, pork, lamb and beef are all rich in protein. Red meat provides us with iron, zinc and B vitamins. Meat is one of the main sources of vitamin B12 in the diet.

Fully cooked meats like ham, sausage and bacon can be frozen for up to two months, while uncooked beef, poultry and pork can last for up to a year. You can expect raw hamburgers and ground beef to keep their freshness for about three to four months.

Is 2 year old frozen chicken still good? ›

You may be surprised to learn that you can store raw chicken in the freezer forever, according to the USDA. Even when the frozen chicken has passed the best-by date on its packaging, it is still deemed safe to eat when thawed.

After thawing your products in the refrigerator, items such as ground meat, stew meat, poultry, seafood typically remain safe and good quality for an additional day or two before cooking. Red meat cuts (such as beef, pork or lamb roasts, chops and steaks) are typically safe for up 3 to 5 days.

According to the USDA, frozen foods are safe to eat indefinitely. But just because something is ok to consume doesn't mean it will still taste delicious after years in a deep freeze.

The formation of ice crystals during freezing damages the ultrastructure and concentrates the solutes in the meat which, in turn, leads to alterations in the biochemical reactions that occur at the cellular level and influence the physical quality parameters of the meat.

Frozen chicken can contain harmful bacteria.

According to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), frozen chicken may have contamination with harmful bacteria. Freezing doesn't kill bacteria. The frozen chicken may become contaminated during packaging, processing, or storage before it's frozen.

“While fresh, never-frozen beef of varying aging times resulted in a juicier product, the previously frozen product was more tender,” Beyer said. “Ultimately, freezing beef does not positively or negatively impact the (consumer's) overall liking of a steak.”

The ones you do see in the freezer aisle have been selected for sale because of their flavor retention characteristics in the frozen format. That's why you don't see frozen salad greens or frozen tomatoes at the grocery store. They won't maintain their same flavor properties when frozen.

And, when you go to a butcher or a grocery store, the fresh cuts behind the glass or wrapped in plastic may have been sitting there for days… or even a week. I wouldn't call that “fresh”. But, since the meat has never been frozen, it's sold as “fresh”. On the flip side, there's frozen meat.

So the biggest difference between fresh and frozen is going to be flavor (fresh will always win) and the way you will use the items. Before we get too far it's important to note that I don't buy any ready-to-eat frozen meals. Today's focus is specifically about single ingredients and saving left overs.