Whether it’s to better your health or shed a few pounds, we all know that fruits and veggies should have a place in our diet.
Fruits and vegetables have so many vitamins and other nutrients that our bodies need to be energized. Not to mention, they can help with factors like eyesight, skin clarity, and hair growth.
If you sell fruits and veggies on a regular basis, you understand how vital these foods are. If you’re selling fresh fruits and veggies, you may actually want to consider switching to frozen!
Keep reading to learn about what IQF foods are and why you should offer them as a supplier!
What Are IQF Foods?
IQF stands for “individually quick frozen.”
IQF foods are foods that are picked at their peak ripeness and frozen to preserve all the nutrients they have. We all know that fruits and veggies are an essential part of our overall health, and IQF foods make them much easier to eat.
Now that you know what IQF foods are, what are the benefits of frozen fruits and veggies?
Why IQF Foods Are the Best
If you sell fruits or veggies to restaurant chains, fresh isn’t necessarily always the best.
Frozen fruits and veggies may actually work better for you, as they have tons of benefits.
When we think of frozen food, many of us think of frozen TV dinners that are packed with sodium. While frozen foods have gotten a pretty bad reputation, frozen produce may actually be better than their fresh counterparts.
Here are a few more reasons why frozen produce is the best.
You Can Offer Fruits and Vegetables Consumers Love Year-Round
Everyone has their favorite, or go-to, fruits and veggies.
Eating fruits and vegetables isn’t the most fun thing to do, so many consumers find their favorites and stick to them. The problem with this system is that some fruits and vegetables are seasonal.
This issue may turn companies away from buying produce from you if you don’t offer a wide selection year-round. If you aren’t offering the fruits and vegetables consumers want, your clients may go look for them elsewhere.
This is where IQF foods are a better alternative.
You can stock up on frozen fruits and veggies, and the consumers will not know the difference! IQF foods are always available, so you can stock your clients up with all the best-selling fruits and veggies, even if they aren’t available to buy or sell fresh.
This makes eating healthier so much easier and enjoyable for consumers, which is the goal, right? Who wants to force-feed themselves produce that they don’t like just because it’s in season? Nobody!
IQF Preserves More Nutrients
Many people don’t realize this, but the fresh produce actually loses a ton of nutrients by the time it reaches the consumer.
When you order an inventory of fresh fruits and veggies, the chances are it took days for them to transport. Over the days that they’re being sent to your client, precious vitamins and nutrients are lost. Plus, a consumer may not eat the produce until a few days after the shipment has arrived.
So, again, even more nutrients are lost.
If you factor in all the time that your produce has been sitting between travel and purchase, it’s kind of gross to think about! As a professional specializing in selling food, you want the best produce to give to your clients.
If they’re buying with the intent of getting the maximum amount of nutrients, it’s your job to deliver. While fruits and veggies are still healthy when shipped from your business, they’re much healthier when they still have most of their nutrients.
While it may sound crazy, frozen fruits and veggies actually have more nutrients than fresh ones! Well, that is, if you didn’t buy your produce from a farmer’s market or grow it yourself.
There’s science behind this to back it up.
When fruits and vegetables are to be frozen, they’re prepared and picked differently than produce that’s meant to be fresh. Frozen fruits and veggies are picked at their peak ripeness. Then, they’re flash-frozen in a nitrogen setting to preserve any nutrients that may get lost if they were to sit.
This method of preservation also stops any bacteria from forming on the food.
Frozen Food Is More Affordable
When we think of frozen food, we often think of the food we eat on a budget.
You can find an entire bag of frozen broccoli for the price you would pay for a couple of stalks. If you’re running a business by selling stock, you’ll want to factor in the price of your inventory when choosing your products.
This is where frozen produce wins.
Not only is fresh broccoli more expensive than frozen, but it doesn’t last as long either. When you purchase fresh broccoli, you have to make sure that it’s all sent quickly.
If you’re selling produce for restaurant owners to use, you’re likely buying in bulk. This gives you a very limited window to sell your stock before it must be thrown out. If you’re throwing out unused fruits and veggies, that’s money you’re throwing out as well.
Fresh fruits and veggies aren’t cheap in the first place, so this waste could really hurt your profits over a long period of time.
If you want to incorporate fruits and vegetables into your selection, but don’t want to splurge on produce that doesn’t last long, IQF foods are a great option.
Don’t Be So Quick to Skip Frozen Food
It’s true that we often think of frozen food and turn our noses up at it, assuming it’s unhealthy or of less quality.
Yes, this is the case with meals that are loaded with sodium and preservatives. Frozen fruits and veggies are different though. It’s surprising to learn that frozen fruits and veggies are usually healthier than fresh produce you have delivered.
If you’re looking for tasty and healthy IQF foods to offer, reach out to us to learn more about our selection!
