Question: Freezing Food - If the Color on Frozen Food Changes Is It Still Safe to Eat?
Answer: Freezing food can affect the color of certain foods. Frozen vegetables can become dull because of over drying which occurs from improper packaging or over-lengthy storage. This can also happen to cooked foods.
Meats which are red when purchased tends to turn dark or pale brown. This occurs because of freezer burn or abnormally long storage. Poultry generally will not change in color when frozen, however the bones and meat surrounding the bones will turn dark. This happens when the pigment seeps through the bones of young poultry and discolors the surrounding tissue when frozen and thawed.
The dulling of color in frozen vegetables and cooked foods is usually the result of excessive drying due to improper packaging or over-lengthy storage.
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