If meats are kept at a low temperature to the point that bacteria can’t form to dangerous levels, how is it that there is still a shelf life for frozen meat?
In: Biology
Cold (above freezing) doesn’t completely prevent bacteria from forming, it just slows down their reproduction. Since bacterial growth is exponential, eventually enough bacteria will have multiplied in refrigerated meat to pose a health risk.
Frozen meat is a bit different. It’s quite difficult for any bacteria to actually reproduce in something that’s fully frozen solid. In theory, a vacuum sealed frozen meat product has an indefinite deep frozen shelf life. However freezer temperatures can sometimes fluctuate and give bacteria an opportunity to multiply. The main reason that frozen food spoils is mainly due to freezer burn (dehydration and oxidation) in improperly stored items. And this spoilage isn’t a health risk, it just makes the food taste awful and have an unpleasant texture. Plastic packaging also has its own expiry date, past which point it can’t be guaranteed to prevent moisture loss or oxidation, or possibly offgassing of chemicals/deterioration of the plastic.
I have eaten meat that I properly stored frozen for years and it was perfectly fine.
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