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Why can slow freezing cause nutrient loss when food is thawed?
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frozen meal
Depositing of prepared meals in trays prior to freezing.
Slow freezing can lead to nutrient loss because it encourages the formation of large ice crystals within the food. When food is frozen slowly, only a few ice crystal "seeds" form, allowing each to grow to a large size. These large crystals can damage the cellular structure of the food.12
Upon thawing, this structural damage results in a loss of fluid known as drip. Because this fluid contains essential nutrients, its loss leads to a reduction in the overall nutritional quality of the food product. To maintain the highest quality and minimize this damage, it is recommended to bring the product temperature through the zone of maximum ice crystal formation (typically -1 to -4 Β°C) as quickly as possible.12