In efforts to evaluate the nutrient
content of frozen fruits and vegetables
compared to that of raw fruits and
vegetables, the agency reviewed both
the AFFI’s supplemental data and
similar data from the U.S. Department of
Agriculture (USDA) (Ref. 2). The
nutrient profiles of selected raw fruits
and vegetables and frozen, single
ingredient versions of the same fruits
and vegetables revealed relatively
equivalent nutrient profiles. The data
reviewed by the agency did not support
the argument raised in the comments
that blanching and/or freezing fruits and
vegetables generally reduces their
nutrient content. In fact, some data
showed that the nutrient content level
for certain nutrients was higher in the
frozen version of the food than in the
raw version of the food. This is probably
attributable to the fact that unprocessed
(i.e., raw) fruits and vegetables may lose
some of their nutrients over time under
certain storage conditions (Ref. 1).