The rising temperatures and melting snow make this an ideal time to eat something cold.

This month marks the 20th anniversary of March National Frozen Food Month, sponsored by the National Frozen and Refrigerated Foods Association (NFRA). Frozen food compares favorably to fresh foods at peak quality, said Bonnie Lepro, clinical dietician at Centre Community Hospital.

"Frozen fruits and vegetables are actually better than slightly overripe fresh produce," she said. "As long as the product was treated correctly before freezing, it is just as healthy as the fresh counterpart."

Luke Laborde, assistant professor of food science, said that treatment of the fresh product will affect its nutritional content.

"If the product sits for days or is not properly chilled, it can lose vitamin C and other nutrients. For frozen food to be most nutritionally beneficial, it must be packaged immediately after harvest."

The temperature frozen food is kept at is important to both taste and safety.

"The best temperature to keep food at is zero degrees Fahrenheit, because the air in a freezer cycles, and as the temperature goes up, it can cause ice crystals and freezer burn," Laborde said.

Freezer burn is caused when the food is exposed to oxygen. Once this happens, the food can lose nutrients and its natural color and have an unpleasant flavor, Laborde said.

"Freezer burn is not harmful to eat; it is just that the food will not taste as good once it has it," Lepro said.

A common cause of freezer burn is the presence of air inside of the container.

"People will wrap things in plastic bags, and ice crystals will form because of the changing temperatures in the freezer. The temperature can change just from opening and closing the door," Laborde said.

Lepro said although frozen food is sometimes just as healthy as fresh foods, prepackaged meals and TV dinners can be less than healthy.

"Checking labels is important, because some meals are very high in fat and sodium," Lepro said.

Freezing is a good way to preserve foods for long periods of time, because bacteria and harmful enzymes are destroyed, Lepro said.

Some students enjoy the convenience and price of frozen foods.

"When I get out of work and class, I usually don't feel like cooking. It is easy to take something out of the freezer and just warm it up," said Jeff Dhuyvetter (junior- mechanical engineering). "I also like it because it is cheap -- a box of pizzas can last a couple of weeks."

For more information on frozen foods and food safety, visit foodsafety.cas.psu.edu.