In the freezer, we tend to store anything and everything – fruit, vegetables, ready meals, pizzas, quiches, breaded fish, ice cream… and above all, we forget as we go along what’s there! Hence an essential question: how do you know if food taken out of the freezer is still edible without risk to health?
UFC-Que-Choisir has just published a complete guide which answers this question in particular. First info: the right temperature for a freezer is – 18°C. “This makes it possible to best preserve the quality of products and their vitamins while avoiding overconsumption of energy.” specifies Que Choisir.
A frozen product can be kept for (at least) 1 month
Secondly, there are a few rules to follow to properly freeze your food: you only put products at room temperature in the freezer (in short: you do not put the soup directly from the casserole dish into the freezer, at the risk of creating a harmful thermal shock for the proper preservation of food), we do not wait to put frozen foods in the freezer after returning from shopping (we do not give them time to reheat), we never refreeze a thawed product (this goes for pizzas , for prepared meals, ice cream, for fruits and vegetables, etc.), and we remember to package frozen products well (in plastic or glass boxes).
If all these rules are followed, food placed in the freezer can keep for at least 1 month. But the durations vary depending on the product: thus, it is 2-3 months for minced or cooked meat, 3 months for grated cheese, 12 months for salted butter and cooked pastries, and between 18 and 24 months for ice creams, sorbets and industrial ready meals.
How do you know if a frozen product is still edible?
There are several signs that should encourage you to throw a frozen product in the trash, as it may no longer be edible; so, if it is dull (grayish meat, for example), if it smells bad after defrosting (we think in particular of bread or fish), if it is covered in ice crystals (this may be a sign of a break in the cold chain) and/or if it is humid (if it is bathed in a suspicious liquid, for example), it is better not to take any risks!
Moreover, in the event of a power outage of 24 hours or morevigilance is required with regard to frozen products… to throw out the slightest doubt.
Source : What to choose
