Freezing Food and Freezer Care

Oxygen draws moisture from food. When this occurs in the freezer, the result is freezer burn. Freezer burn does not make food unsafe, merely dry in spots. It appears as dark leathery spots. Cut freezer-burned portions away either before or after cooking the food. Heavily freezer-burned foods  should be discarded for reasons of quality.
 
 

- Freezing foods to 0°F inactivates any microbes--bacteria, yeasts and molds--present in food. Once thawed, however, these microbes can again become active, multiplying under the right conditions to levels that can lead to food-borne illness. Since they will grow at about the same rate as microorganisms on fresh food, you must handle thawed items as you would any perishable food.