Most frozen food must be cooked before eating. Image from Pixabay.
If you sell frozen meals or frozen foods in general, you will be interested in recent research from the USDA which shows that consumers may not know how to safely cook frozen foods, which can put families at risk of getting foodborne illness.
In particular, this consumer research study showed that consumers were not certain if frozen food was ready-to-eat or raw especially if it had a cooked look about it. This means that it is important for food manufacturers to put clear and comprehensive cooking and preparation instructions on their food packaging. Use terms such as “Cook and Serve,” “Ready to Cook” and “Oven Ready” to indicate that your product must be cooked may also help consumers.
This report serves as a reminder that we CANNOT assume our consumers know if our product is ready to eat or not. Do NOT leave your food safety to chance. Book your food safety review call here and let me help you write clear cooking instructions for your products.