John Gaughan > wrote in
:

> WiScottsin wrote:
>> "Does Freezing Destroy Bacteria and Parasites? Freezing to 0° F
>> inactivates any microbes -- bacteria, yeasts and molds - - present in
>> food.
>
> First of all, most freezers will not get this cold, and if it has an
> auto defrost, forget it.

That isn't necessarily true. I have a Frigidaire "commercial"
frost-free upright freezer that easily maintains -10°F. For short
periods when I plan to freeze larger quantities of food, I can pull it
down to -20°F.

> Second, not all microbes are inactive at the magic temperature of 0F.
> Some of them thrive at lower temperatures, although these are far less
> common.
>
> Finally, freezing any food for long periods of time degrades quality
> for other reasons (think freezer burn).

Only if improperly wrapped. Double or triple wrapping foods for the
frost-free freezer will almost always prevent freezer-burn. I've
successfully kept beef roasts for over a year when properly wrapped.
AFAIC, it's worth the extra effort of multiple wrapping to eliminate
dealing with freezer frost. Food in conventional freezers is subject to
freezer burn, too, if imiproperly wrapped.

Wayne