Thawing food requires adherence to certain essential instructions to preserve the microbiological safety and organoleptic characteristics of the food.
Thawing food, what temperature
The ideal temperature for thawing food should be between +2°C and +4°C. In essence, the home refrigerator environment in excellent functionality. Gram-positive bacteria(Staphylococcus aureus, Listeria monocytogenes) are indeed resistant to low temperatures, as we have seen.
The gradualness in tempering that is achieved in this way enables
– To preserve the cell membranes of the food as much as possible,
– promote the reabsorption of fluids rich in proteins, vitamins and minerals, – prevent any Gram-negative bacteria that may be present from replicating when the favorable temperature is reached, usually above 10°C.
Best practices against bacteria
The duration of defrosting varies according to the type of food. With respect to these specifics, it is good practice to reduce the time of consumption to the minimum necessary and to proceed with cooking the food, also to prevent any low-temperature resistant bacteria that may be present from reactivating the life cycle.
To thaw food without the risk of promoting bacterial growth, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) disseminates some tips in a concise infographic.
– Separate large pieces of frozen fish, shrimp or berries inside the package before thawing them. Thaw only the amount of food needed and leave the rest frozen.
– Thaw meat, fish and seafood on a tray in the refrigerator to avoid contaminating other foods.
– For vegetables and fruits, thaw under cold running water, preferably leaving them inside their original packaging.
– Leave food subject to thawing in the original packaging or other suitable packaging.
– Make sure hands and utensils are clean when handling food, for example, when dividing larger pieces of food into smaller pieces.
– Never refreeze thawed foods.
Frozen or deep-frozen
The procedures described are identical for frozen (or ‘culled’) and deep-frozen products. Two conditions often considered similar, but instead very different.
In fact, freezing is a rapid thermal blast chilling process at very low temperatures that preserves the nutritional and organoleptic characteristics of food. Freezing, on the other hand, is a slower and cheaper process, but it does not fully preserve the quality of food.
Professional journalist since January 1995, he has worked for newspapers (Il Messaggero, Paese Sera, La Stampa) and periodicals (NumeroUno, Il Salvagente). She is the author of journalistic surveys on food, she has published the book "Reading labels to know what we eat".
