Can food spoil at cold temperatures?
So someone here at home tweaked the thermostat on the fridge and raised to its maximum (coldest) level, and now a few of my housemates are really upset because the resulting decrease in temperature allegedly caused their vegetables to spoil.
This doesn't make sense to me, as I understand that food will spoil if the fridge (or any environment for that matter) is too -warm-, not cold.
Nevertheless, these guys will adjust the thermostat whenever its 'too high' to them and this naturally causes other food, like my leftovers, cheeses, and fresh milk, to spoil.
Is there any truth to their claims? Can food spoil in a fridge (I do mean fridge, and not freezer) that's too cold?
Best Answer
It depends on what you mean by "spoil".
The purpose of the fridge is to prevent food from growing pathogenic organisms. There is a clear dependence there: The colder the environment, the slower food gets "spoiled", or unsafe to eat.
But we also want our food to be tasty. And cold temperature does change the texture and taste of some foods, especially fruit and vegetables. If it stays above freezing, some of them still get unpleasant, especially tomatoes and tropical fruit. The worse problem is if the temperature gets below freezing. Then everything turns mushy and unpleasant. And because fridges do not have a very precise temperature control (due to imprecise sensors but also to the fact that the temperature and humidity varies throughout the space of the fridge), a thermostat set too high can lead to temperatures below freezing at least in some parts of the fridge, rendering some vegetables, specifically green salads, practically inedible.
On this one, I side with your roommates. I have never seen a fridge which had it necessary to turn the thermostat all the way up. Milk and cooked food does great at temperatures just below 4 degrees C, which for most fridges I've seen corresponds to a middle setting. Expiry dates are based on this temperature. Cheese actually prefers higher temperatures, like 15 degrees, people just keep it in the fridge because they lack a better space in a typical kitchen. Setting the thermostat on the highest setting gets the fridge around, sometimes even below, the freezing point, and yes, it makes it impossible to keep vegetables in the fridge (I've seen them turn bad in the closed vegetable drawer too), and wastes lots of energy besides.
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Quick Answer about "Can food spoil at cold temperatures?"
While freezing does not kill most bacteria, it does stop bacteria from growing. Though food will be safe indefinitely at 0° F, quality will decrease the longer the food is in the freezer. Tenderness, flavor, aroma, juiciness, and color can all be affected. Leftovers should be stored in tight containers.How long can food stay out in cold weather?
The "2-hour rule" states that perishables left at room temperature for more than two hours should be discarded. If the food is being kept in an area that is 90 degrees Fahrenheit (32.2 degrees Celsius) or above, leftovers should be refrigerated to 40 degrees Fahrenheit (4.4 degrees Celsius) or below within one hour.Can food be left outside in the cold?
The food safety website says the danger zone for chilled food is between 40\xb0F and 140\xb0F. Even if frozen food has begun to thaw, it can be safely refrozen if it remains below 40\xb0F or still has ice crystals on it. However, the website actually suggests you avoid storing food outdoors.How cold is too cold for food?
Keep an appliance thermometer in your freezer so you know what the temperature is. As long as the temperature is below 40 degrees F (4 degrees C), the food will be safe to eat (following these refrigerator guidelines) or refreeze. Once the temperature rises above 40 degrees F, the food should be thrown away.What temperature does food start to spoil?
The "Danger Zone" (40 \xb0F-140 \xb0F) This range of temperatures is often called the "Danger Zone." That's why the Meat and Poultry Hotline advises consumers to never leave food out of refrigeration over 2 hours. If the temperature is above 90 \xb0F, food should not be left out more than 1 hour.There is a temperature food can reach before it's not safe
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Answer 2
I am doing an experiment on fruit, testing which fruit will rot faster, and I discovered that the fruit in the refrigerator decayed/rotted faster.
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