Food Preservation and Storage

Food Preservation Storage

Lesson 09: Preservation by Low Temperature

Principle

Low temperatures retard chemical reaction and action of food enzymes and slow down or stop the growth and activity of microorganisms in foods. As a rule of thumb, for every 10°C temperature change, the rate of reaction changes by a factor of 2 to 3. Pathogen growth is halted below -4°C and spoilage microorganisms don’t grow below -10°C.