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Storing food in your freezer
Freezing and storing foods at temperatures -18°C (-0.4°F) or colder helps retain the physical
quality and nutritional value of foods. Low temperatures inhibit the growth of bacteria, moulds
and yeasts, thereby restricting chemical and physical reactions to extend the food’s storage life.
General fresh frozen food care
Successful freezing depend on the foods’ quality, packaging and proportions. We recommend
freezing foods fast to maintain moisture content and to prevent the formation of large ice crystals.
For best results:
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Only select foods of high quality and freshness.
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Ensure foods are packaged in suitable packaging material before freezing.
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Ensure foods freeze as quickly as possible and in small quantities. Do not attempt to freeze more
than 1 kg of meat per 25litres (26 qt) of freezer storage volume.
– Freezing in smaller quantities helps retain the nutrient qualities and appearance of the food
as best as possible.
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When freezing many foods at once, we recommended activating the ‘Fast Freeze’ function
2hours beforehand.
– Ensure fresh food to be frozen does not come into contact with already frozen foods. This will
cause frozen foods to start defrosting.
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When freezing foods containing liquids or semi-solids ensure there is a 20–50mm (13/16–2”)
head space to allow the foods to expand as they freeze.
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Keep door openings to a minimum and do not open unnecessarily.
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Ensure all air is removed from food packaging. This will avoid large formation of ice crystals and
prevent freezer-burn on foods. The formation of small ice crystals is normal.
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Ensure hot foods and drinks are not placed directly into the freezer. Hot containers may damage
shelves and walls of the refrigerator, increase energy consumption and cause already frozen
foods to defrost.
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Ensure there is a constant turnover of foods. User older items of food first and do not exceed the
recommended storage times. See table below.
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Ensure partially or fully defrosted foods are never re-frozen. Defrosted foods can only be refrozen
after it has been cooked.
Recommended freezer storage times for freshly frozen foods
These times should not be exceeded.
Months Type of food stored
1 Bacon, casseroles, milk
2 Bread, ice cream, sausages, pies, prepared shellfish, oily fish
3 Non-oily fish, shellfish, pizza, scones and muffins
4 Ham, baked goods, beef and lamb chops, poultry pieces
6 Butter, blanched vegetables, whole eggs and yolks, cooked crayfish,
raw minced meats
12 Dried fruits or fruit in syrups, egg whites, raw beet, whole chicken, raw lamb,
fruitcakes
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