Frozen Vegetable and Potato Consumption and Handling Practices - Minnesota, 2023

Frozen vegetables are considered a not ready-to-eat product and are packaged with cooking and safe handling instructions. Surveys have demonstrated that consumers perceive frozen vegetables to be relatively safe, which might make consumers less likely to follow cooking and safe handling instructions. While studies have demonstrated that consumer handling of frozen vegetables is suboptimal, there is a need to characterize handling practices for a variety of vegetable types. The objective of this study was to assess consumption frequency and preparation practices for a variety of prepackaged frozen vegetables and frozen potatoes. We conducted a survey at the 2023 Minnesota State Fair and received 1,719 completed surveys from Minnesota residents aged ≥18 years. The vast majority consumed frozen vegetables and frozen potatoes in the previous year (91.3% and 80.1%, respectively). Overall, 15.7% of respondents reported consuming at least one frozen vegetable type raw, while raw frozen potato consumption was rare (n = 3 respondents). Among nine vegetable types, leafy greens and carrots were consumed raw more often (38.4% and 17.6%, respectively). Among those who reported always following cooking instructions for leafy greens, 36.2% of respondents reported consuming them raw. These findings provide insight into which frozen vegetables might pose a higher risk given consumer preparation practices.