U.S. Embassy Paris 2 avenue Gabriel 75008 Paris France Phone: [33] (1)43122222 Alt Phone: (33) 1 42 66 97 83 Fax: [33] (1)42669783
The second benefit of refrigeration is that it slows down the foodâs own natural processes that lead to ripening and eventual decay. For fruits and vegetables, the very chemical processes that cause plants to grow and ripen also cause them to rot. In effect, refrigeration helps save the plant tissue from itself.
Occasionally, frozen foods are partially or completely thawed because of delays in getting them into the freezer, a power outage, or a change of plans for cooking the food. The basis for safety in refreezing foods is the temperature at which you held thawed foods, and how long you held them after thawing.