Having studied and been working in the food processing sector for the last 12 years, I can say many opinions here are not complete. There is no denying that fresh food is better than other options. But food processing has evolved based on proper science and the technologies for processing came into existence to address the problems of food spoilage, wastage, and supply chain constraints.
Frozen food is the next best option to fresh food, compared to other forms of processing.
Some of the key consideration points/ misconceptions/ lack of information among the consumers w.r.t food sector (in my opinion) are-
1. Food processing vs Food Service: most restaurants, QSRs, Food delivery are under food service sector. Companies like ITC, Nestle, Mapro, Pepsico etc. are Food processing companies. Why is this important? Most food processing companies follow better standards than those laid by Government (analogy- safety standards in Cars and Maruti's argument). There are set mechanisms like Quality and food safety systems, regulatory inspections to put a check on these companies. On the other hand, food service has a lot of flexibility and the mechanism for check on this sector is very poor. The skill level and knowledge of food/ sanitary inspectors are very limited and coupled with a lack of uniform standards, implementation levels are very arbitrary. While nestle/ coke has been questioned about the presence of heavy metals/ pesticides in their products, why not check the safety levels of food in food service, public water supply etc. To sum up, Processed food is different and Food Processing has always been held against higher levels of implementation (grossly shorthanded compared to advanced countries)
2. Read many instances of raids on hotels by food inspectors finding stored meat and other food. These are nothing but official ways of earning bribes. From my experience and interactions, most of these food inspectors in the local municipalities are not qualified/ trained enough and don’t know the difference between frozen food, food stored in the freezer, and spoiled food in the freezer. Especially in the case of frozen food, it is very difficult to determine the spoilage without microbiological tests, yet they levy instant fines to outlets and there are not enough labs in the country in both public and private sectors to enforce effective monitoring. I am more inclined to a restaurant that uses its freezer effectively with proper calibrations and records for storing. But they are unicorns.
3. Frozen food is better than fresh food in some cases. Especially in cases like meat, seafood, and dairy from a food safety point of view. From economics point of view, developed countries achieved supply chain parity and cost standardization by employing cold chain. Frozen/ chilled food is cheaper than fresh food as it brings stability to the supply chain and those small, deformed yet fully functional food commodities are utilized properly. Even in India, surprisingly highly perishable milk is better handled and losses are limited to approx. 2% through effective usage of the cold chain, whereas in fresh fruits and vegetables it is anywhere between 15-50%. We celebrated 73rd republic day and been to mars, but our governments were unable to figure out the supply chain constraints of onions and tomatoes in the last so many years.
While I say this, I want to first emphasize, avoid frozen food where possible for the longevity of the planet than for any other reason.
4. We moved from fresh to processed food for a reason and seems our thoughts and actions are becoming circular. Consider this- people moved from hunting, gathering, cultivating, cooking, eating out, and now to ordering food on mobile. For the last part, how are people utilizing the time gained? I take the liberty to generalize that not majority of people ordering food from couches are trying to learn, work, or tending some important tasks.
5. While I earn my bread (pun intended- maybe not sure) from the food processing sector, I would like to share this- Particularly in the last decade, food is being over emphasized by the businesses and unfortunately by governments as well based on fads. My only advice is- keep it simple.
6. Some prevalent fads in the food sector:
a. Organic is better: No. Organic is costly with no proven benefits, particularly when certification is voluntary. Rather than promoting sustainable agriculture, even governments are promoting this trend. Sustainable practices like integrated pest and nutrition management, educating and enforcing right fertilizer and crop protection applications takes a long time and doesn’t make you look fancy. At least 25% of weightage to economic crisis in Sri Lanka can be attributed to haphazard implementation of 100% organic agriculture.
b. Except if you are a hardcore non-vegetarian turned vegan who miss eating meat, plant-based meat is not solving anyone’s need, especially in India. Indian way of consuming meat/ flexitarian diet is very sustainable compared to the west.
c. Cold-pressed juices are hype. Eat some fruit instead. It’s better for you and the planet.
d. Carbs are not your enemy and neither protein is your friend. Traditional Indian meals are very well balanced (north/south/ NE/ Punjabi/ Veg/ Non-Veg) more or less translates to 60% carbs, 30% protein plus others and 10% fat are better options. Do not practice those low carb diets. Important thing is to include complex carbohydrates in your diet.
To conclude, we need to practice consuming less in every aspect of life and governments are supposed to promote this. At this point, it is sad that despite having enough food the focus on food security and malnutrition is very less while there is abundance and wastage of food across the world. Businesses are deploying every tactic available to make you consume more right through subliminal addition of cheese slices to your burger to high resolution ads of food that never looks similar. This is what makes me say the emphasis on food has gone beyond what/ where the need is. Eat less, Eat simple and keep a balance to enjoy occasional treats than giving your money, burning fuel for food deliveries on daily basis.