Nutrition News & Views

August 2, 1999
A Shakespearean Decision in the Supermarket (Part II)-August 1999/No. 2

To buy or not to buy a certain product. That is the question. Although convenience foods are a definite attraction, many people have questions. Am I sacrificing anything for convenience? Do the recommended five or more servings of fruits and vegetables need to be fresh? What about additives and preservatives? Do they affect safety? Do the additional health benefits exist in processed as well as fresh foods?

For most fruits and vegetables, there is a difference in taste and texture between fresh and canned or frozen versions. However, nutritional analysis verifies that fresh, canned and frozen fruits and vegetables are practically identical in vitamin content. "Taking advantage of the variety of canned and frozen produce is a great way to reach '5 A Day, '" said Sue Snider, Ph.D., University of Delaware Cooperative Extension Service. "Many consumers have the notion that frozen and canned varieties 'don't count' when in fact they are sometimes more nutritious than those found in the produce aisle because they are harvested and preserved at the peak of freshness." Fresh produce often loses some of its nutrients during shipping, while at the store, and in consumers' refrigerators.

Phytonutrients--plant components with potential health benefits--are present regardless of how they are processed. The lycopene in tomatoes, for example, is in fresh tomatoes, canned tomatoes and spaghetti and pizza sauce. Evidence shows that processing actually improves the bioavailability of lycopene.

Processing can also add a safety advantage to some products. Traditional pasteurization, or heating to destroy harmful bacteria, has been recognized as a food safety advantage for decades, and is considered one of the major advanced in public health. When milk pasteurization was discussed in the early 1900's, the concern was tuberculosis as well as other illnesses then could be transferred by raw milk. Those few states that currently permit the sale of unpasteurized milk experience periodic recalls because of contamination with salmonella or E. coli 0157:H7. [Note: Mississippi does not permit the sale of unpasteurized milk.]

More recently, pasteurization is being applied to apple cider. According to Dr. Snider, "Some people were concerned that pasteurization would reduce nutritional value, but the change is only minimal. On the other hand, heat treatment of cider is critical because the benefits of additional protection from E. coli can be life saving."

One day, consumers across the country may be able to select safety-enhanced irradiated meat and poultry that has been pasteurized through irradiation. This "cold pasteurization" process leaves the product virtually unchanged regarding taste, texture and nutritional value. Yet, 99.99 percent of harmful bacteria like salmonella and E. coli 0157:H7 are destroyed.

Source: Food Insight, International Food Information Council Foundation, May/June 1999

Submitted by Catherine Green, MSU Dietetic Intern
Distributed by Barbara McLaurin, Ph.D., R.D., L.D., Human Nutrition Specialist, MSU Extension Service, August 1999

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