What is freezer burn and how can you prevent it?

Prepare for the Culinary Poultry Exam with flashcards and multiple choice questions. Review key topics with detailed hints and explanations. Achieve success on your test!

Freezer burn happens when food in the freezer loses moisture and takes on oxidation because air is left in contact with the surface. When packaging isn’t airtight, water from the food migrates to the surface and sublimates into the freezer, leaving dry, pale, leathery spots, sometimes with off flavors from oxidation. The surest way to prevent this is to exclude air with airtight packaging or by vacuum sealing. Wrap densely, use freezer-safe containers or bags, press out as much air as possible, and keep foods at a steady, sufficiently cold temperature. Quick freezing and avoiding thawing and refreezing also help maintain quality.

Other options miss the point: light exposure isn’t the main factor in freezer burn, freezing isn’t primarily about bacterial growth needing preservatives, and simply refrigerating doesn’t prevent the moisture loss and surface drying that freezer burn describes.