Open the freezer door and there, way in the back, may be an old carton of ice cream growing spikes of ice. Or a forgotten frozen lasagna covered in icy crystals. Or drying of meat surfaces if not well covered.
People sometimes call this phenomenon freezer burn, and it happens when tiny ice crystals on the food’s surface evaporate directly into vapor without first going through the liquid water phase—a process scientifically termed sublimation. This moisture loss can leave the food’s surface layers dried out and discolored.
Professor of Food Science Tong “Toni” Wang studies ice recrystallization and ways to slow it down. Read the full article on The Conversation.
UT is a member of The Conversation, an independent source for news articles and informed analysis written by the academic community and edited by journalists for the general public. Through our partnership, we seek to provide a better understanding of the important work of our faculty.
_______
CONTACT:
Lindsey Owen (865-974-6375, lowen8@utk.edu)