Frozen Beef Really Is Fresh Beef

Fresh, in most cases, is best. Buying fresh food that’s never been frozen for shipping through the industrial food supply chain is a goal health-conscious people have in mind when they shop for food.

However, there is an exception to this rule: buying beef. In this case, the difference between fresh and frozen is none whatsoever. In fact, frozen beef is superior to non-frozen beef in many ways.

That’s why Acabonac Farms ships beef frozen to customers. It’s a method that emphasizes safety, health, elimination of waste and convenience. The process is part of a commitment to produce high-quality, healthy grass-fed and grass-finished beef to customers.

And, yes. It results in very, very tasty beef.

New Ways Of Thinking

Of course, some remain convinced that beef is best if it is “fresh” and never frozen.

But thinking has evolved on this topic.

The Sustainable Agriculture and Research Education (SARE) organization, which promotes sustainable, environmentally-friendly agricultural methods, makes this point. They note that in their long experience “there is no difference in quality. In fact, frozen beef may be more tender because fresh, conventionally marketed beef goes through its aging process during transport.” 

SARE also points out that customers who insist on buying “fresh beef” pick it up at the store and then go home...and put it in the freezer.

But What About Nutrition?

In the past, conventional thinking has been that fresh beef provides more nutritional value than frozen beef. Many are surprised to learn that is not the case.

In examining the issue, the Washington Post talked to officials with the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). After years of extensive study, the USDA finds that beef frozen properly does not lose any nutritional value.

Aliza Green, a chef and author based in Philadelphia, told the Post that people waste time worrying about the fresh vs. frozen issue. “Just don’t over-think the frozen versus fresh,” Green said.

The Advantages of Frozen Beef

Clearly, frozen beef is just as healthy a “fresh.” But freezing beef also offers advantages. They include the following.

Immediate Freezing

Beef at Acabonac Farms is “flash frozen,” which means it is frozen immediately and kept that way. That locks in all the health benefits and protects the integrity of each cut of meat, lowering the risk of contamination.

No Long Supply Chain

Beef bought at large grocery store chains arrives on the shelves after a long transportation process that can lower the quality of the beef and increase the risk of contamination. In the case of frozen beef from Acabonac Farms, the meat goes directly from the farm to the customer’s doorstep. The beef is always under the control of Acabonac Farms until is it shipped directly to the buyer.

Preserving Vitamins

Fast freezing meat, as noted above, locks in the health benefits. This has been shown through a variety of studies. In one from Great Britain, the protein, mineral and vitamin content of frozen beef was found to be completely unaffected by the freezing process. Non-frozen meat can lose some of its nutrients faster. As reported in the Daily Mail: “Meat freezes beautifully.”

Halting The Aging Process

Another advantage to freezing beef immediately is that it retains the juicy quality and rich flavor of the meat. Unfrozen beef can lose these qualities quickly, resulting in beef that is drier and less flavorful. Essentially, by flash freezing the beef, it remains suspended right at the point you want it to be before cooking it.

Less Wasteful

Freezing beef also is easier to manage in your household. Because the meat is flash frozen and vacuum sealed, there’s no rush to cook the meat before it goes bad. It’s easier to take the portion you want to cook and not cook everything at once, which inevitably leads to wasted meat.

Of course, you can take the expert’s word, but the best way to find out is to experiment on your own and order fresh, frozen beef to try yourself. Chances are, you won’t be disappointed.