Food businesses are responsible for handling food safely at every stages of food production including storage. A safe food storage is critical for saving their customers from food borne illnesses. Each food has appropriate storage specifications in order to avoid cross contamination and food spoilage. Cold foods must be stored in the refrigerator at 00 c to 50 c and frozen foods at or below -180 c. Apart from the storage temperatures, frozen foods must also be stored properly for ensuring that they are not freezer burned.
WHAT IS FREEZER BURN?
When the food stuffs are store in the freezer, the water molecules within the food also becomes ice crystals. This water crystals moves to the coldest part of the freezer walls. As a result, the loss of the water content makes the food to become dehydrated and then it is called freezer burned food.
WHY DOES FREEZER BURN HAPPENS?
1. Food is not stored properly in the freezer.
Food items should be vacuum packed before storing it in the freezer. So that the water molecules cannot be escaped.
2. Food is stored in the freezer for a longer period of time.
There are appropriate storage duration for every food in chiller and freezer. Water molecules get lost from the food if it is stored in the freezer for too long.
3. Inappropriate storage temperatures of freezers.
Freezer burns can occur if the storage temperature keeps fluctuating.
IS FREEZER BURNED FOOD SAFE?
There will be concerns about the safety of freezer burned foods as whether it is safe to cook and serve. The fact is that, freezer burned food is not an issue of food safety, instead it’s an issue of food quality. The food would have lost its original texture and taste. At the end of the day, it affects the food business as both food quality and food safety should be kept as promised to the customers.
HOW TO RECOGNIZE FREEZER BURNED FOOD?
Here are some recognitions of freezer burned food.
Dry spots that look grey or brown on red meat
Discoloration in protein food
Dull and slimy vegetables
White spots (ice crystals) on food
WHEN TO DISCARD THAWED FOOD
Food business should discard the thawed food if,
Thawed food has a strange odor or slimy and dull in texture
Any food that has no label which shows the date of it was frozen
The food was frozen in a puddle of water in the freezer
HOW TO AVOID FREEZER BURN
Proper storage and temperature control is essential for preventing freezer burns. Always ensure that the food is sealed and wrapped properly. Let the excess air out of the freezer bag before sealing. Hot food should be blast chilled before freezing. Label the food with name and date before freezing. Ensure that freezers are operating at the proper temperatures, that is -180C or below and do not leave the freezer open. Use frozen food items before its expiry in freezer.
It is completely safe to have freezer burned food. However it is possible for freezer burns to affect the appearance, taste and texture of the food. If only a small portion of the food has freezer burn, consider cutting off that portion before preparing it to be cooked and served.
