Refrigerator temperature

[raw-al]

We don't always have a choice so freezing is sometimes the only option.

I am guessing that the colder it is the more nutrients are destroyed. We never leave meat in there long. It is consumed before new meat is put in.

What temperature do you set your freezer at?

[Iguana]

The ideal for long term storage is between 0° C and 2°C, but I would worry that it may freeze in some parts of the fridge and mine can't reach this low anyway. So, I store my meat about 5 or 6° C.

PS: I notice afterwards that you talk about freezers and freezing, but I relied on the title which is about "refrigerator temperature".

[raw-al]

You're right. I meant freezer.

[HIT_it_RAW]

Very interesting topic. You're probably right that the lower the temp the higher the damage. So what do you set it at Al?

Mine is at -18 degrees celcius. no particular reason it was the standard setting.

[Iguana]

Very interesting topic. You're probably right that the lower the temp the higher the damage.

I don't think so. The damage occurs mainly when thawing because the ice crystals break the cells walls. But if the foodstuff contains no water at all, there's probably no damage or little damage. I don't eat any food that has been frozen, but if frozen it should be done at the lowest practicable temperature (- 30° C)  for best storage preservation.

Cheers
Francois

[cherimoya_kid]

I don't think so. The damage occurs mainly when thawing because the ice crystals break the cells walls. But if the foodstuff contains no water at all, there's probably no damage or little damage.

Agreed.

[HIT_it_RAW]

yes damage to the product itself by crystal forming ripping the membramen/wall of cells would be the same. I was thinking of the many microorganism on the produce that we also need. most of them can withstand a few degrees below 0(celcius) but ptolonged exposure to temps like minus 30 kills a whole lot more of them.

[Joy2012]

Freezing does not cause much nutrition loss (0% to 10% in most cases) according to the following article:

http://nutritiondata.self.com/topics/processing

I like to freeze my animal foodstuff because I read somewhere that freezing meats for a couple weeks kills almost all parasites. (Is that true?)

[HIT_it_RAW]

I like to freeze my animal foodstuff because I read somewhere that freezing meats for a couple weeks kills almost all parasites. (Is that true?)

Yes but it is very doubtful that's actually beneficial.

[raw-al]

Freezing breaks down omega - 3 fatty acids

http://www.jerseyseafood.nj.gov/nutrition.html

[aLptHW4k4y]

Did you misread that, it says

Freezing seafoods -- as well as cooking with methods like baking, broiling, and steaming -- causes minimal omega-3 losses.

[raw-al]

Did you misread that, it says

Nor really. It says that it causes minimal, but I have read in other places http://www.anticancerbook.com/ that the losses are increased with time spent frozen. It was in a book about cancer by a cancer surviver Dr. David Servan-Schreiber. Look at his blog about omega 3 and childhood cancers

[TylerDurden]

Many dieticians do the same trick with references to boiling foods. Many websites like to claim that boiling foods causes either "no" or "negligible" amounts of heat-created toxins. When one actually gets a rare chance to look at the actual scientific tables, one finds that the dieticians deliberately underestimated the amounts of heat-created toxins produced.

[raw-al]

I listened to a DVD made in collaboration between the Mayo Clinic and Gaia on arthritis. (Got it at the library)

The Doctor "Expert" on nutrition stated that you should stock up on fresh frozen veges etc as there is no nutritional loss with the new freezing techniques and it is a great way to have the nutrition on the run.

I know they are trying and they can only talk from the vantage point of what they know, but why is it that they keep spouting off about how they believe in "Evidence Based" medicine. Apparently evidence has changed meaning since I went to school.

These "highly paid experts" were trying to convince the audience that yoga and meditation were a useful part of arthritis treatment.

Now naturally that is a good idea for anyone but it has no efin effect other than making you think you feel better. I have nothing against yoga and meditation, as I do it everyday and have for many years, but it has nothing to do with disease. Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj (I Am That) etc, died of cancer from smoking.

[eveheart]

I know they are trying and they can only talk from the vantage point of what they know, but why is it that they keep spouting off about how they believe in "Evidence Based" medicine. Apparently evidence has changed meaning since I went to school.

"A man sees what he wants to see, And disregards the rest." -Paul Simon

The FDA table that Joy posted is a good example of evidence based on selective data. That oversimplified table reported on the effect of freezing and four other methods of destructive food preparation on 16 vitamins and 8 minerals. Eating food raw was summarily dismissed.

"You can fool some of the people all of the time, and all of the people some of the time, but you can not fool all of the people all of the time." -Abraham Lincoln