Within the world of vegetables, there are different types of products produced by the food industry.
From fresh to ultra-frozen, including vegetables that are already washed, cut, and ready to eat, the vegetable food sector offers a wide variety of products for human consumption, meeting all hygiene and health guarantees.
Today, we will specifically focus on discussing the so-called fourth vegetable range, a group of products that has gained significant popularity and impact on our purchasing preferences in recent years.
What is the fourth vegetable range?
By the fourth vegetable range, we mean those vegetables that come packaged and ready for consumption, such as the typical salads for on-the-go found in many supermarkets.
One might think that they may not be as healthy as if we were to take fresh vegetables and cut and prepare them at home, but this depends on the accompaniment of these preparations rather than the nutritional quality of the raw material itself.
Primarily, what the fourth range loses is in taste, as it tends to be inferior to that of fresh products.
Despite this, the fourth vegetable range provides a range of resources that can occasionally save us from a pinch when we’re away from home. For lunch at work, for example. However, always remember to keep it refrigerated to prevent food poisoning. It’s not enough to take a salad in the morning and keep it at room temperature all day. This practice would be dangerous and could jeopardize food safety.
The nutritional aspect of the fourth vegetable range
Whether fourth-range vegetables are healthy or not depends on the quality of the raw materials, not whether the vegetables are truly processed as fourth range. On the other hand, a Mediterranean salad with olive oil, vinegar, and salt could be quite good.
How is the fourth vegetable range processed?
The fourth vegetable range typically includes what we know as modified atmospheres inside the packaging. It simply involves a mixture of the same gases that make up the air (oxygen, nitrogen, and carbon dioxide) but in different concentrations, adapted to the product’s needs. This, along with refrigeration, allows the food to last longer in better conditions.
In addition to modified atmospheres in the packaging, fourth-range vegetables have undergone a series of mechanical processes beforehand, such as cutting or chopping, washing, and peeling. Normally, these products undergo a hygienic wash to reduce possible microbial contamination before packaging, so there is no need to wash these vegetables again before consumption. To ensure, we can always check if this is indicated on the product’s food labeling.