ABSTRACT
The freezing process consists of prefreezing treatments, freezing, frozen storage, and thawing. This method of long-term food preservation is generally regarded as superior to canning or dehydration when judged on the basis of retention of sensory attributes and nutritive properties. Changes in the vitamin and mineral contents of major food classes will be considered for each separate stage of the freezing process as well as for the overall freezing process. Losses of vitamins from fruits and animal tissues during the holding period following harvest or slaughter and prior to freezing are slight, provided the product is maintained at a low nonfreezing temperature and the storage time is limited to no more than a few days. Substantial losses of vitamins can occur during frozen storage of food tissues, and the magnitude of loss depends on the product, prefreezing treatments, the type of packaging,58–59 the type of pack,60 and the storage conditions.
