The detrimental effects of freezing on food.

Day 34

Before I went on this pure food trip I was into frozen food, as a bachelor it was convenient cooking for one, less waste and convenient, and I could decide what I fancied to cook by looking in the freezer department of my fridge and choosing from the packets. So tonight I decided to research the detrimental effects of freezing on food.

Freezing food stops most enzyme activity and inhibits bacteria and mold growth. However it doesn't sterilize food, although some microorganisms die, others resume activity as soon as the temperature increases. Another problem is that the water in the food ruptures the cell membranes as it expands into ice crystals. This effect is more pronounced in meat than in vegetables and fruits. Although your freezer may be filled with ice the air in it is extremely dry. As a result, if unwrapped or poorly wrapped food is left there for some time, it'll undergo freezer burn. In freezer burn the ice crystals in the food evaporate without first melting (a process called sublimation), altering the taste of the dried-out parts when they're thawed and eaten and in extreme cases making them inedible.