Food safety issues related to eating raw frozen vegetables
I just pulled out a package of frozen spinach and noticed a warning "Cook from frozen, product must be cooked before consumption". I found the same on a package of frozen baby peas and I'm sure I've seen it many times before on vegetables that are often eaten raw when fresh. Are there any food safety issues related to this advice?
I couldn't really think of a problem with vegetables that are commonly sold and stored a while at room temperature. I live in Australia so maybe it's location specific, but having a further look I've found the same warning on products from three different manufacturers.
Best Answer
While I agree that these types of warnings are conservative and partially CYA, I would suggest that they not be dismissed.
What needs to be understood is that there are other factors involved past the production method. Even if a mfr./producer observes and maintains the highest quality standards in their production facility, they have no control over how the food products are handled after leaving their facilities.
There are many transportation and storage steps between the time products leave a production facility and the time you pick it up from a grocer's shelf. If, in any one of these steps, the food has not been handled properly, the safety has been compromised.
While I would say that the risk may be minimal, it still exists. I am not overly conservative in my own kitchen, but one needs to know that the risk can be real. And just because something hasn't happened yet, it doesn't mean that it can't.
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Quick Answer about "Food safety issues related to eating raw frozen vegetables"
Bacteria, such as Listeria monocytogenes, can still live at very low temperatures on frozen food. When eaten, the bacteria can cause Listeriosis, a life-threatening illness. Last year there was an outbreak of Listeriosis across Europe that caused acute illness in 47 people including 9 deaths.Is it safe to eat frozen vegetables raw?
Yes, you may have eaten uncooked frozen vegetables and been fine, but know that there is some risk. The first step to cooking may involve thawing, especially if the moisture released by frozen vegetables will be a problem.Can you get food poisoning from frozen vegetables?
In the United States, only one outbreak implicating frozen vegetables was reported during 2009 to 2019. It was associated with Listeria during 2013 to 2016 causing nine cases and three deaths. The contamination source was the food processing environment and vegetables were probably blanched.What are the disadvantages of frozen vegetables?
Let's find out.- 1 \u2013 Frozen vegetables are less nutritious than fresh vegetables. ...
- 2 \u2013 Frozen veggies are more expensive than fresh. ...
- 3 \u2013 Frozen vegetables can be kept longer than fresh vegetables. ...
- 4 \u2013 Frozen vegetables taste like the freezer. ...
- 5 \u2013 Frozen vegetables can help make better food choices.
Fresh or frozen food? Using SCIENCE to prove which is best with surprising results! - BBC
More answers regarding food safety issues related to eating raw frozen vegetables
Answer 2
Listeria can be present and does not die when frozen.
Answer 3
There have been Listeria incidents, as already mentioned, and also Norovirus incidents. Judging how much the presence or absence of a warning on the bag should be used as a reliable guide is very dependent on local/regional labelling and food safety policy.
Answer 4
There is the possibility that your spinach was harvested from a particularly filthy field. If it was harvested anyplace in the "first world" (check the label), I would dismiss the warning. Other than that possibility, what you have there is a warning so overly conservative that it serves to undermine any credibility that the governing body ever had.
In my opinion, that warning should be ignored.
BTW, I'm not of the type to thumb my nose at such things (see: Is smell a bad way of determining whether meat is still good?), at least not here. I am conservative concerning what I will say here, but that warning is ridiculous.
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