Why frozen?

A group of frozen vegetables.

Flash freezing locks in freshness!

At the heart of our business is our philosophy on frozen food. Quite simply, we believe that expertly frozen food offers a long list of benefits for busy consumers:

✔ It preserves flavour, freshness and nutritional benefits.

✔ It offers variety and value – no matter the season.

✔ It reduces food waste, since you can thaw and cook only what you need.

✔ It leads food innovation and food safety practices in the food industry.

Our Jambalaya in a skillet.

6 common frozen food myths debunked

There are some outdated ideas floating around out there, and we’d like to set the record straight.

A group of breads and vegetable dishes.

Q & A: What you need to know about frozen food

As you can imagine, we get a lot of questions about frozen foods. Maybe you’re wondering how long our dishes last or what processes we use to expertly freeze them. Or perhaps you’re curious about our food-safety practices; rest assured they’re a huge priority for us, so we’ll handle that question right off the top. Before you head out to stock up, let’s get you the answers you need.

Q. What does it mean that M&M Food Market products are "flash frozen"?

A. Flash freezing is a process that preserves the made-from-scratch flavour of our products. Here's how it works. All meats, fish, fruits and vegetables contain a high proportion of water. A home freezer gradually freezes this water to form large ice crystals that pierce the cell walls of the food. Upon thawing, the food often becomes soft and mushy. However, flash freezing chills food at extremely low temperatures, within a couple of minutes, thereby preventing the formation of large ice crystals. It also preserves the natural texture and flavour, and during cooking, all the great taste is allowed to come through fully.

Q. Can I trust that frozen foods are handled safely? 

A. Absolutely. In Canada, food producers have to follow stringent rules, and we’re no exception. We prepare our dishes with the utmost vigilance — we are committed to safe food-handling practices and ensure that we go above and beyond Health Canada guidelines. We also work closely with all of our suppliers to develop and test every product you see on our shelves. They’re our partners in upholding high safety standards; it’s just that simple.

Q. Can I thaw and serve vegetables and meals that are fully cooked without warming them?

A. You may be tempted to, but don’t. All of the vegetables and prepared meals we sell must be warmed through according to the package directions to ensure that they reach the correct temperature. That’s the most important thing you can do to ensure a delicious, safe eating experience.

Q. How long does frozen meat last in the freezer?

A. It’s generally safe to keep meat in the freezer for up to one year. Boneless skinless chicken breasts; beef and pork tenderloin; roasts; and the many cuts of steak can all last for eight to 12 months. The exception is ground meat (or ground meat products, like our Italian Style Beef Meatballs or Angus Beef Burgers), which should be consumed within three months. Shrimp, scallops and shellfish can last for up to four months in the deep-freeze; fatty fish, such as salmon, for up to two months; and lean fish, such as cod and flounder, for up to six months.

Q. How long do frozen veggies last in the freezer?

A. There’s good reason why our dedicated fan base loves our green beans, broccoli, brussels sprouts, asparagus and corn: These perfectly chilled veggies stay tasty and ready to cook for up to a year in the freezer. Other sturdy vegetables, such as carrots, beans and squash, will also keep for eight to 12 months when frozen. On the flip side, vegetables that contain a lot of water (think lettuce and cucumbers) don’t freeze well, so stick to fresh; store them in the fridge and enjoy within a few days.

Q. What does “frozen at their peak” mean for vegetables?

A. This is the key to our veggies’ taste appeal. They’re picked at peak ripeness — rather than harvested early and left to ripen during transit — and then individually flash-frozen so they hold on to their nutrients and flavours think of it as our way of hitting the pausembutton on nature. Our suppliers then maintain this “cold chain” by keeping our products at a constant, icy –20 C. This expertly preserves texture, shape and taste, and guarantees that your veggie favourites will turn out tender-crisp when cooked.

Q. Isn’t frozen food loaded with artificial flavours and colours?

A. Some might be, but not ours. We’ve learned that preparing our food with care and expertly freezing it means we don’t have to add artificial flavours and colours to make it taste amazing. Our food contains absolutely no artificial flavours, colours or sweeteners, and we’re proud of that fact.


One thing is certain: Our fans love our frozen foods because they mean less prep for busy families; less food waste, as you’re only cooking the portions you need for that meal; and less need for long-range meal planning, recipes or hard-to-find ingredients. (Who has time for all that?) Plus, the best part is that there’s always something delicious waiting for you at your local M&M Food Market store.

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