Canned and Frozen Food Key Terms

Know the terms you need for buying canned and quick-frozen food

Canned and frozen foods, also known collectively as prepared foods, comprise a large portion of the food used by many restaurants and institutions, such as schools and hospitals. Knowing what canned and frozen foods to buy requires that you understand the principles behind canned and quick-frozen foods, and how they affect the food cost associated with your business. Understanding the process of canning and freezing is important to ensuring safe food service.

 

Quick-frozen food

Quick-frozen food, also known as individually quick frozen (IQF) food, is prepared using an instant, or high-speed, freezing process that does not involve the same temperature parameters as traditional freezing. IQF frequently is used to ensure the freshest results from freezing for products like fish and fruit.
Try: Foodprocessing-Technology.com provides additional information on quick-frozen foods.

Pasteurization

Pasteurization is a process invented by Louis Pasteur for slowing the growth of microorganisms in food products. Pasteurization frequently is used in dairy products and other refrigerated and frozen foods to ensure a safe shelf life.
Try: The University of Guelph Dairy Sciences department offers a detailed explanation of pasteurization and how it works.

Dessicant

A dessicant is used in food preparation and in the manufacture of other products to keep moisture levels low in a sealed container. The most common dessicant used in food manufacture is salt, and many prepared foods that are canned or frozen may be high in sodium as a result.
Try: SorbentSystems.com offers more detail on a number of different types of dessicants.

Food cost

Food cost is the percentage of total food service sales revenues spent on food products themselves. Low food cost is often an incentive for buying frozen or canned foods. Specialty frozen foods and prepared meals offer a relatively high cost compared with food prepared using frozen or canned ingredients.
Try: Get a more detailed explanation of food costs from Restaurant Management Solutions.

Chilled desserts

Chilled desserts or frozen desserts commonly refer to desserts prepared using frozen ingredients, desserts prepared using fresh ingredients and then chilled, or prepared desserts that are packaged and sold frozen. Common chilled deserts include puddings, souffles and trifles, while the most common frozen dessert is ice cream. Strict legal definitions for frozen desserts are used in manufacture and labeling, and vary by state.
Try: Learn more about the legal definition of frozen desserts and research frozen dessert labeling regulations at LAWriter.

Frozen specialty food

Frozen specialty food is the name given to a broad range of prepared meals that are ready to serve when heated. These food products include frozen dinners and side dishes, frozen pizzas and frozen breakfast foods like waffles and pancakes.
Try: The NAICS Association offers a definition of frozen specialty food products and a list of qualifying food product categories.

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