Seven millions tonnes of frozen food is thrown away every year due to confusion over frozen food safety advice. People mistakenly believe that food has to be frozen on the day it is bought, when in actual fact it can be frozen at any point up until its use by date. Food also won’t spoil in the freezer as the freezer effectively acts as a pause button’. Food may decline in quality if stored frozen for a long time but it will keep indefinitely.
Freezing in an Integrated Fridge Freezer inactivates microbes such as bacteria, mould and yeast. Once thawed, these microbes can become active again which is why it is important to only refreeze food after it has thawed in the refrigerator and been cooked. It is safe to freeze cooked foods. Do not refreeze any foods left outside the refrigerator for more than 2 hours. When you want details on an Integrated Fridge Freezer, go to Wellingtons.
When you store frozen food you will want to know how to:
- Prevent freezer burn
- Prevent moisture loss
- Prevent the contamination from other food
- Use your space wisely
- Prevent food poisoning as you thaw food
Leave as little air as possible in freezer bags and wrap meats tightly with foil. Make sure your food freezes as fast as possible to prevent bacteria growth and make sure hot foods have completely cooled before placing them in the freezer compartment. Labelling and dating freezer bags is a useful tip to save confusion at a later date. Also it is prudent to use your frozen food within 2-3 months of freezing.