Is frozen fruit better than fresh fruit? You may be surprised by the answer!
Nutritionists, different types of chefs, and produce wholesale business leaders often debate this question. However, it’s more about the ways in which you package, store, and prepare fruit that determines its nutritional value. For instance, there might be ways of storing fresh produce that lessens its nutrient contents. Meanwhile, the best frozen fruit distributors have processes to ensure the preservation of vitamins and minerals.
In this article, we’re going to help you answer the question: is frozen fruit better than fresh fruit? Then, we’ll discuss the various factors that can contribute to the nutritional value of fruit in general.
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Is Frozen Fruit as Healthy as Fresh Fruit?
So, are frozen fruits as healthy as fresh fruits? This question raises many concerns and misconceptions in the F&B space. However, it’s all about how you store different fruit products. Generally speaking, frozen and fresh fruit contain the same macronutrients and are both high demand products.
While there may be cellular breakdowns that slow down when fruit is exposed to freezing temperatures, the nutritional value is fairly similar. In fact, fresh fruits are much more susceptible to mold, fungal, and bacterial growth than frozen alternatives. As a result, consumers, retailers, and eateries can feel safer when buying from a wholesale frozen fruit distributor. The same concept is also apparent when purchasing wholesale frozen vegetables, too.
However, there’s always going to be a time and place for fresh fruit. Read on to learn about several differences between the two types of produce.
9 Differences Between Frozen Fruit and Fresh Fruit
Is frozen fruit as healthy as fresh fruit? Well, there are many contributing factors to this debate. See below for nine differences between the two types of produce. Once you have a clear understanding of how to maintain the integrity of fresh and frozen fruit, you’ll then know how to keep it as healthy as possible. Read on!
1. Nutritional Value
It takes poor conditions or a great deal of time for the nutritional value of frozen fruit to drop. That’s because freezing temperatures retain nutrients like vitamins, antioxidants and minerals. It’s a natural preservation method that is especially valuable to wholesalers who opt against toxic preservatives.
Fresh fruit has the same nutritional content as frozen fruit but only for a limited time. When exposed to light, air, or warmer temperatures for an extended period, fruit will begin the decay process. The severity of these factors will dictate the speed at which the fruit spoils.
2. Demand
Various fruits are more abundant in certain geographic regions. However, the demand for them might be high in places where they’re hard to find or grow. The process of freezing and distributing these fruit variations makes them accessible to eateries and retailers across the globe. In doing so, frozen fruit products are able to remain consistent in terms of their flavor, scent, and color. Harvesting fruits at their peak ripeness in areas where they’re most delicious will also result in industry-leading fruit brands.
Keeping up with demand planning can be a bigger challenge when it comes to fresh fruit. Seasonality is a huge factor that can contribute to the decreased availability of certain products. So how can retailers and restaurants combat this issue? By utilizing a wholesale directory to browse from fruit wholesalers across the globe.
3. Temperature Requirements
It should be no surprise that frozen fruit must remain in freezing temperatures. If it's not, you’re bound to have a lot of spoiled fruit on your hands. Once this occurs, frozen fruit wholesalers shouldn’t refreeze their products. So, a lack of temperature-controlled storage results in hefty expenses.
Fresh fruit products can stay out in chilly to room temperature environments. However, the time in which they remain edible is very limited. But we’ll talk more about the shelf life of fruit in a little bit.
4. Packaging
Packaging options for frozen fruit are quite limited. That’s because thick freezer bags are a must. Any other type of packaging can lead to leaks and rips. Plus, sturdy plastic bags help maintain cool temperatures when in-transit. It’s also a better material for printing designs, which is essential for private label frozen fruit suppliers.
The options for packaging fresh fruit are much more flexible. While some wholesale fruit suppliers use aerated bags, others ship them in crates. The standard protocol after purchasing fruit is to thoroughly wash it. So, leaving fresh fruit in the open is the norm.
Besides, enclosed fresh fruit is at a higher risk of spoilage. This is because of its high water content. If you kept fresh fruit away from airflow, the moisture would increase and result in rotten products.
5. Shelf Life
One of the best parts about purchasing frozen fruit is that it has a lengthy shelf life. If you keep insulated bags of frozen fruit tucked away in a freezer, you can still use it for several months to a year. The nutritional value, color, flavor, and texture won’t be too different from the day it was first frozen. Since you won’t be at risk of food spoilage, you can save a substantial amount of money from avoiding food waste.
The consumption of fresh fruit must occur much sooner after the time of purchase. Depending on the fruit, it can last for upwards of a few days to a couple of weeks. If you’re going to buy fresh fruit in bulk for a retail business, ensure that you calculate the demand for it.
6. Uses In Recipes
Any smoothie or frozen yogurt business owner will tell you that frozen fruit is essential for their recipes. After all, something like a frozen yogurt recipe can benefit from the texture of frozen fruit. These are just a handful of countless uses of frozen produce.
Snacks and dessert menu items are more likely to incorporate fresh fruit. That’s because these types of foods often prioritize bolder yet sweeter flavors. Plus, fresh fruit is needed for baked goods, whereas frozen alternatives can mess up the way such items bake in the oven. Besides, you wouldn’t be able to thoroughly mix frozen fruit into batter.
7. Texture
Frozen fruit has a tendency to be significantly firmer than fresh fruit. After all, that goes with the territory of remaining in such frigid temperatures. As for the texture of the fruit, frozen vs. fresh produce isn’t all that different depending on the type. If anything, features like grittiness in something like strawberries might be more prominent. But if you take fruits like blueberries and bananas, the stiffness will be the biggest difference.
8. Flavor Profile
We as humans have proteins in our taste buds that contribute to the way we perceive flavors. It’s important to note that these proteins react much greater to warmer temperatures. Just think about the potency of something like melted fudge as opposed to chocolate ice cream. The same idea applies to fruit as well as all other food products.
Fresh fruit naturally has sweeter and more potent flavor notes. That’s if you serve it at room temperature, of course. If you’re supplying retailers or eateries with fresh fruit, ensure that its delivery timeline is right around the time that the produce ripens. That way, it will be at its optimal flavor upon reaching the consumer.
9. Scent and Aromatic Qualities
Scent molecules utilize energy to travel away from food products. And what decreases that energy production? Cold temperatures! That’s why frozen foods don’t offer intense aromas. Even savory foods like spices and meat products have a mild scent when frozen. So, you can imagine what this molecular process does to items like fruit that naturally have a lighter scent to begin with.
Subsequently, fresh fruit offers a much greater aromatic experience. Even a grocery store’s produce department will be complemented by the fragrance of various products. However, these scents can fade upon spoilage just as quickly as they emerge once the fruit ripens. So, be wary of expiration dates.
Frozen Fruit vs Fresh Fruit: Buy and Sell Both!
Now when fellow F&B leaders ask, “Is frozen fruit as healthy as fresh fruit,” you’ll know the key traits that differentiate the two types of produce. If you’re interested in buying or selling both with ease, consider using the BlueCart app.
Our platform simplifies the process of distributing and ordering wholesale produce, among all other types of inventory. If that sounds like a valuable solution for your business, schedule a demo with us to learn more!