Frozen food chemistry
is the principal constituent of most foods, "the process of freezing
food is the process of freezing water." (2)
Because different foods have variable water contents, each food substance
has to be treated in a special way. "The prepared frozen food industry
is not one industry at all it is a score of industries and therefore
it requires a score of histories." (1)
The manner in which liquid water turns to solid ice has been the subject
of scientific research for more than a century. Even after ice crystals
have been formed as the food is frozen, they may change on long-term storage.
In addition, a variety of chemical reactions may also occur in frozen
foods during storage. Thus the manner in which frozen food is stored and
the way in which it is thawed can have a major impact on the quality of
the final consumer product.
As in all food preservation techniques, freezing inhibits microbe activity,
reducing bacteria and molds and their undesirable side effects. However,
it does not kill all bacteria, and the industry quickly recognized that
"freezing does not sterilize foods." (2)
Clearly, the commercial freezing of food products is not a simple process.
The ignorance of the basic chemistry of the underlying processes on the
part of many producers in the post war boom led to poor quality which
was in part responsible for the refusal of the consumer to buy their products.