Preventing Food Spoilage With Modern Refrigerator Freezers
Sunday, April 24th, 2011Before the introduction of refrigeration people had a challenging time with keeping food fresh so they just took what they needed from their gardens for every meal, and kept foods salted so they would keep fresh longer. Nevertheless because of poor cooling conditions, cooked foods that were not eaten right away often spoiled and had to be discarded. Ice blocks taken from rivers, streams and lakes seemed to help keep foods like eggs and milk cold and preserved them longer from dangerous bacteria. Nonetheless, even in the finest of icehouses it was hard to keep cold temperatures. When the ice began to melt temperatures would rise higher than what was thought to be safe to keep food from going bad. Moreover, some of the goods that were kept in ice to keep them cold would experience a type of freezer burn, which made food inedible as well.
The invention of the modern refrigerator went a long way in helping to prevent food from spoiling but, those early models like the ice blocks before them did not always maintain a steady and safe temperature to prevent the growth of bacteria. It wasn’t until the mid 1960’s that refrigeration became more dependable at maintaining steady temperatures. This meant that food placed in the refrigerator rarely spoiled if consumed within a reasonable time unless the refrigerator itself malfunctioned and quit cooling. While a refrigerator that had completely lost it’s ability to cool was quite noticeable, small raises in temperature quite often went unnoticed. Although technology has come a long way in making better refrigerators, fluctuations in the refrigerator and Freezer Temperature remain a health concern.
In order to properly slow the growth of bacteria refrigerators need to maintain a temperature of 40 degrees Fahrenheit or lower while freezer need to remain at 0 degrees Fahrenheit to keep food properly frozen. Even as little as a degree rise in temperature can cause bacteria to multiply at twice the desired rate spoiling some foods in as little as an hour or two.
This is why it is extremely imperative to make note of your refrigerator and Freezer Temperatures and be sure thy remain at safe temperatures. One way of assuring that is buying thermometers for both the refrigerator and the freezer. You can check these thermometers frequently and any spike in temperature should be closely observed.
With some innovations, some designs of refrigerators and freezers feature built in thermometers that are both created to monitor your refrigerator or Refrigerator Freezer Temperature and will inform you if there are spikes in temperatures as well. Some models have a digital display of the temperatures right on the unit so that you know what the temperature is at all times.
Should the temperature in your refrigerator or freezer rise you should immediately try and get the food inside somewhere where it can be kept at the proper coolness and then consult your the troubleshooting portion of the manual or call a service representative and have your refrigerator checked out and serviced.
Modern day refrigerators are an awesome invention that helps keep food from spoiling longer than ever imagined, however you should also do your share in assuring that your fridge is maintaining a safe temperature.