What process does freezing food at or below 0°F (-18°C) fail to stop?

Answer

Enzymes that cause quality degradation over extended storage periods.

Freezing food serves a crucial role in food preservation by halting the multiplication of microorganisms, meaning bacteria cease to grow when temperatures are maintained at or below 0°F (-18°C). However, this low temperature is insufficient to completely deactivate all biological agents affecting the food. Specifically, enzymes present within the food itself are not entirely inactivated by freezing. These remaining active enzymes continue to slowly break down the food's structure, texture, and flavor over time during long-term storage. Consequently, food can appear visually normal upon thawing, having stopped microbial growth, yet still suffer from significant quality degradation due to these persistent enzymatic processes.

What process does freezing food at or below 0°F (-18°C) fail to stop?

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