Does it make sense to use of "Dust-off" or similar compressed gasses
for preservation of food in the refrigerator, since the heavier gasses
from these products displaces air-causing oxidation in the food
container? (You just spray from the Dust-off (gently) into the food
container to displace some air, replace the lid on and put in frig.)

Oh pshaw, on Mon 10 Dec 2007 02:27:39p, Tdub meant to say...

> Does it make sense to use of "Dust-off" or similar compressed gasses
> for preservation of food in the refrigerator, since the heavier gasses
> from these products displaces air-causing oxidation in the food
> container? (You just spray from the Dust-off (gently) into the food
> container to displace some air, replace the lid on and put in frig.)
>

Whatever the gas is, it wasn't designed for use with food and is probably
not food grade. Some may even be toxic.

--
Wayne Boatwright

Date: Mon, 12/10/2007

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"Tdub" > wrote in message
...
> Does it make sense to use of "Dust-off" or similar compressed gasses
> for preservation of food in the refrigerator, since the heavier gasses
> from these products displaces air-causing oxidation in the food
> container? (You just spray from the Dust-off (gently) into the food
> container to displace some air, replace the lid on and put in frig.)

These gasses are mostly R-134a and are not toxic. However since
they aren't required to be rated food grade no attempt is made to
make sure they they are sterile. If you wanted to do this you could
use an Asthma inhaler I suppose since it is rated food grade (obviously)

But, eliminating oxygen doesen't do anything for stopping food
from rotting. All you are doing is changing the conditions from those
favorable to aerobic bacteria to those favorable to anerobic
bacteria. And the anerobic bacteria are far worse. The aerobic
bacteria make old food smell like stinky cheese. The anerobes make
old food smell like vomit.

And, worse, king of the anerobes is Botulism. Botulism loves
low or no oxygen environments and thrives in it. It does not like
high oxygen environments however. And it is present everwhere
and on everything, on all food, in your digestive tract, everywhere.
Harmless in an oxygen-rich environment, it goes wild in a low
or no oxygen environment and will pour out scads of toxin that
will kill you quite quickly.

Ted

Ted Mittelstaedt wrote:
> "Tdub" > wrote in message
> ...
>> Does it make sense to use of "Dust-off" or similar compressed gasses
>> for preservation of food in the refrigerator, since the heavier
>> gasses from these products displaces air-causing oxidation in the
>> food container? (You just spray from the Dust-off (gently) into the
>> food container to displace some air, replace the lid on and put in
>> frig.)
>
> These gasses are mostly R-134a and are not toxic. However since
> they aren't required to be rated food grade no attempt is made to
> make sure they they are sterile. If you wanted to do this you could
> use an Asthma inhaler I suppose since it is rated food grade
> (obviously)
>
> But, eliminating oxygen doesen't do anything for stopping food
> from rotting. All you are doing is changing the conditions from those
> favorable to aerobic bacteria to those favorable to anerobic
> bacteria. And the anerobic bacteria are far worse. The aerobic
> bacteria make old food smell like stinky cheese. The anerobes make
> old food smell like vomit.
>
> And, worse, king of the anerobes is Botulism. Botulism loves
> low or no oxygen environments and thrives in it. It does not like
> high oxygen environments however. And it is present everwhere
> and on everything, on all food, in your digestive tract, everywhere.
> Harmless in an oxygen-rich environment, it goes wild in a low
> or no oxygen environment and will pour out scads of toxin that
> will kill you quite quickly.
>
> Ted

Clostridium botulinum is a strict anaerobe (as are all Clostridia sp.) and
requires a totally oxygen free environment, also there are other bacteria
such as Staphylococcus sp., E.coli, Salmonella sp., Listeria sp. and so on
that can grow both aerobically and anaerobically.