Why can frozen food still contain living microorganisms?
Freezing can suppress microbial growth without killing every microorganism. When conditions change after thawing, surviving organisms can become active again, so freezing does not erase a food's handling history.
Questions you could explore
- How is preventing growth different from sterilizing?
- Why does what happened before freezing still matter?
Start reading
- US Food and Drug AdministrationAre You Storing Food Safely?
The FDA’s Freezer Facts section distinguishes microbial survival from growth during frozen storage.
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