CRITICAL READING ANALYSIS 2

Frozen Food Myths It's Time You Stopped Believing: Ending the Frozen Food Stigma.

For too long we have overlooked the freezer aisle, treating it as a place of compromise rather than a place meant to make our lives easier. We say it is either not as nutritious or more expensive than fresh food and feel a twinge of shame when we opt for frozen veggies over fresh. But many of these commonly held beliefs are actually, myths. Accepting these facts and learning to shop at the frozen food aisle can unlock a whole new world of healthy, affordable, and convenient meals

Most people assume that fresh is always best, and frozen produce is strictly for convenience's sake. But it turns out, freezing produce in fact, helps to retain vitamins and minerals that would otherwise be lost if stored at room temperature or in the fridge. A study compared the concentrations of select nutrients in fresh and frozen produce, including broccoli, cauliflower, corn, green beans, green peas, spinach, blueberries, and strawberries (Linshan, Pegg, Eitenmiller, Ji-Yeon & Kerrihard, 2017). The findings show no significant differences between vitamin contents in fresh and frozen produce. In fact, frozen produce outperformed fresh produce that had been stored for five days in the refrigerator, because fresh produce loses nutrients over time. By purchasing frozen produce, consumers are not compromising but in actuality, consumers may be getting an even more nutrient-packed product.

In addition to the above point, a common perception that all frozen foods are highly processed is also a major factor for consumers to be rejecting frozen foods. Though this was once the norm for frozen food, today's freezer aisles are packed with healthier options made with fewer ingredients, and more wholesome ones at that. Take the renowned frozen product - Birds Eye Original Mashed Cauliflower, for example. It contains cauliflower, water, heavy cream, and a bit of corn starch and whey for thickening - all ingredients you would likely add to your own homemade version, and in a blink of an eye, it is ready for consumption packed with nutrients with no additives and preservatives, as one likely to claim. An important point that needs to be taken is that freezing itself is a natural form of preservation, so added preservatives are no longer necessary to preserve frozen food. There are many ready-made frozen meals that are free of preservatives or sodium (Ndanuko, Dunforda, Wu, Raubenheimerb & Neala 2020). In fact, frozen fruits and vegetables often have no added sodium, making them a healthier alternative to their canned counterparts.

Eating food that was prepared about a month ago, seems daunting but this is something that the consumers need to be enlighten about. The frozen-by date is not an indicator of food safety, but instead lets the retailer know how long to display the product before taking it off the shelf. Hence, if you are scared to use those frozen peas hiding in the back of your freezer from times gone by, don't be. According to FoodSafety.gov (n.d.) - an official website of the United States government, it is stated on their website that, "frozen foods stored continuously at 0 degrees F or below can be kept indefinitely" (para. 3). They do provide guidelines for how long to freeze foods, but these guidelines only indicate the period of time in which the food will be at peak quality, because texture and flavour can begin to deteriorate with time.

Nevertheless, it is also crucial to note that freezing food does not kill bacteria. More precisely, freezing below 0 degrees F inactivates any microbes, bacteria, yeasts, and moulds present in food (AskUSDA, 2019). So once a frozen food is thawed, that same bacteria that the food went into the freezer with will become active again and can even multiply under the right conditions (usually between 40-degrees F and 140-degrees F). The same goes to using the right packages that are meant for freezing. As tempting as it is to transfer those chicken breasts from fridge to freezer in their original packaging, these packages were not meant for freezing. Meat packaging, for example, is often permeable to air, which can invite bacteria inside, not to mention cause freezer burn. You are better off unwrapping and rewrapping everything in freezer-safe wraps or bags, making sure to let out as much air as possible. When freezing vegetables, it is important to first blanch them to prevent enzymes from damaging colour, flavour, and nutrients, as well as to destroy any microorganisms that might be lingering on the surface.

Finally, since we have tackled nutrition and food safety, it is time to talk about money. It is to be expected that frozen hash browns or French fries are more expensive than a couple of potatoes because you are paying for someone else to do the prep work for you. But if you think fresh is always cheaper than frozen, think again. In a recent comparative study (Aschemann- Witzel, Gimenez & Ares, 2020), fresh users end up paying more than frozen after accounting for labour, trim and spoilage and that the rise of labour costs shows no signs of slowing anytime soon.

Answer ALL the questions.

1. There are 17 SDGs proposed by United Nation to be achieved by the year 2030. Which goal is best to represent this passage?

A. SDG 2 - Zero Hunger
B. SDG 3 - Good Health & Well-Being
C. SDG 7 - Affordable & Clean Energy
D. SDG 12 - Sustainable Consumption & Production

2. Identify a FACT in the passage. Provide justification / reasoning for your answer.

"Freezing produce helps to retain vitamins and minerals that would otherwise be lost if stored at room temperature or in the fridge" (para.2).

This is because, this statement is taken from research done by Linshan, Pegg, Eitenmiller, Ji-Yeon & Kerrihard in 2017. The findings of this research validate such claim that 0°F (-18°C) temperature can help preserved vitamins and minerals in food.

“In a recent comparative study (AschemannWitzel, et al., 2020), consumers end up paying more for fresh food compared to frozen food after accounting for labour, trim and spoilage and that the rise of labour costs shows no signs of slowing anytime soon” (para. 6).

This is a fact because this statement is taken from a research done by AschemannWitzel and others in 2020. The findings of the research proved that fresh foods cost more than frozen foods when taking cost of labour, trim and spoilage into account. 

3. Identify an OPINION in the passage. Provide justification / reasoning for your answer.

"All frozen foods are highly processed that contain high amount of added preservatives and/or sodium, in order to make them last longer" (para.3).

This is an opinion because, there is no evidence such as research to prove such claim and there are research findings that show otherwise - frozen food contains less to zero preservatives.

“Most people assume that fresh is always best, and frozen produce is strictly for convenience's sake” (para. 2).

This is an opinion because this statement is not the truth about the quality of fresh food being the best. Moreover, the existence of frozen food is not necessarily for human’s convenience. In a nutshell, not everyone will agree with such a statement.

4. "Accepting these facts and learning to shop at the frozen food aisle can unlock a whole new world of healthy, affordable, and convenient meals" (lines 5-6)

Identify the TONE used in this phrase. What makes you think so?

The tone for this statement is hopeful. The author seems to be positive and anticipate (or hoping for) a positive change in the consumers' behaviours of choosing frozen foods instead of always opt for fresh ones.

[Also accept: optimistic / forward-looking].

5. "If you are scared to use those frozen peas hiding in the back of your freezer from times gone by, don't be" (lines 38-39)

Identify the TONE used in this phrase. What makes you think so?

The tone for this statement is positive. The author tries to dispel consumers fear by encouraging consumers that it is safe to consume months old peas in the freezer.

[Also accept: encouraging / giving reassurance].

6. Overall, what is the AUTHOR'S PERSPECTIVE towards to topic / issue? Provide justification for your answer by listing down 3 reasons given by the author in the passage.

The author agrees with the consumption of frozen food. S/he believes that frozen foods offer more nutritional benefits than fresh produce and encourages the consumers to move forward and adapt this option

1. Frozen food is healthier and has more nutrient as compared to fresh food because the freezing process can prevent the loss of nutrient over time.

2. Freezing is a natural form of preservation hence no added preservatives or sodium is needed in order for the food to last longer.

3. Frozen food is a cheaper option after taking into consideration the amount of labour for food preparation and other factors.

7. What is the AUTHOR'S CONFLICTING OPINION / VIEW / PERSPECTIVE of the issue? Provide justification / reasoning for your answer by listing down 3 reasons based on the passage.

The conflicting view disagrees that frozen food as a good option. This is because, fresh food is better and superior to frozen food.

1. Consumers' state of mind that fresh food is the only ideal way for a healthy lifestyle and frozen food is just to make one's life easier.

2. Fresh food does not contains any amount of preservatives hence, it is the best. Meanwhile, frozen food contains lots of added preservative and sodium in order for the food to last longer.

3. Fresh food is cheaper than frozen food because it involved lengthy processing steps during the freezing process - that make it more expensive.

8. By using your own words, which view from the passage do you agree? Please provide 3 specific reasons for your stand.

I have the same view as the author that frozen foods should no longer be stigmatized.

1. Not all frozen foods are bad for your health.

2. Not everyone can afford fresh foods.

3. Frozen foods can last longer than fresh foods.

I fully agree with the authors that frozen food can unlock a whole new world of healthy, affordable, and convenient meals.

1. Frozen produce outperformed fresh produce that had been stored for five days in the refrigerator, because fresh produce loses nutrients over time.

2. Fresh users end up paying more than frozen after accounting for labour, trim and spoilage and that the rise of labour costs shows no signs of slowing anytime soon.

3. Most frozen food can be easily cooked and in a blink of an eye, it is ready for consumption packed with nutrients with no additives and preservatives.

I agree with the author to some extent that frozen food is a better option. This is because:

1. Frozen food can last longer and kept its nutrient level at a maximum level for longer period of time as compared to fresh food.

2. Frozen food is not similar to canned food and it has zero to less preservatives and sodium. However,

3. the price of frozen food are relatively a bit higher than fresh food. Furthermore, fresh food is easily available at any grocery store or supermarket or even wet market.

9. Recommend 3 specific ways that are in line with the related Sustainable Development Goals to raise awareness about the issue among fellow MALAYSIANS. Please elaborate each method.

There 3 specific ways are:

1. by giving out discounts / coupons on frozen food items at the supermarkets or even online stores (2m)

2. Nationwide campaign by the government to advertise frozen food as the ideal way of living so that it could change the mindset of Malaysians (2m)

3. Showcase variety types of frozen food options so that consumers can have more options. More innovation of the kind of frozen food availability in stores / online (2m)

4. Get help from influencers (chefs) to spread awareness on frozen food by asking them to create recipes specifically using frozen food items.

5. Promote and give discount on cooking gadgets like air fryer or multi-cooker that are used to cook frozen food to demonstrate how easy and delicious frozen food can be.