FROZEN PREPARED FOOD

any of the complete meals or portions of meals that are precooked, assembled into a package, and frozen for retail sale. They are popular among consumers because they provide a diverse menu and are convenient to prepare. A typical frozen prepared meal contains a meat entree, a vegetable, a starch-based food such as pasta, and sauce. The manufacture of such a product requires careful attention by the food processor. Additional reading R. MacRae, R.K. Robinson, and M.J. Sadler (eds.), Encyclopaedia of Food Science, Food Technology, and Nutrition, 8 vol. (1993); and Y.H. Hui (ed.), Encyclopedia of Food Science and Technology, 4 vol. (1992), are general works that cover all aspects of the science of food. P. Fellows, Food Processing Technology: Principles and Practices (1988), is an introductory text.C.P. Mallett (ed.), Frozen Food Technology (1993), is a reference book. International Institute of Refrigeration, Recommendations for the Processing and Handling of Frozen Foods, 3rd ed. (1986), in English and French, discusses various industrial methods used in food freezing and provides recommendations on optimal conditions for freezing and for frozen storage of various food commodities. Mogens Jul, The Quality of Frozen Foods (1984), describes changes in the quality of foods during frozen storage and includes calculations to determine the shelf life of frozen foods. R. Paul Singh