Experts recommendations on how to better preserve food in these times of pandemic
The key to prolong food conservation is to keep a stable temperature inside the refrigerator
May 2020 – In face of the coronavirus global pandemic, all countries affected have dealt with the situation using recommendations of measures like social distancing, isolation, quarantines or even total lockdowns, in various degrees. This means that more people stay at home for longer periods than usual. In this scenario, food conservation has become an important issue for families in consequence of three aspects: increase in food consumption at home considering all family members, reduced stocks of certain goods in the supermarkets and the increase in energy consumption.
Currently, the pandemic has brought as a consequence that the average domestic refrigerator gets fuller because there are more people eating at home during the whole day in comparison with regular times, and people tend to go to the grocery stores fewer times to avoid crowded places, buying more food at each time. More people at home also tends to increase the frequency in which the refrigerator’s door is opened and closed throughout the day.
Given this situation, experts from Nidec Global Appliance, manufacturer and provider of Embraco compressors, a global brand reference in technology for the complete domestic and commercial cold chain, share some important recommendations to keep food fresh inside the refrigerator.
It is consensual among experts that people should avoid panic shopping, therefore the recommendation is to make a list before going to the supermarket and only buy enough groceries for up to 15 days. This will avoid waste and also the social impact of increasing stock shortages in the supermarkets.
Avoid temperature variations
It is important to know that the key to prolong food freshness is avoiding the variation of temperature inside the refrigerator, since this variation is what promotes the generation and development of microorganisms in the food, which are responsible for accelerating the process of food spoilage.
In order to keep the proper temperature inside the refrigerator, it is recommended to avoid the constant opening of the cabinet’s door and not to obstruct the air ventilation, because it blocks the cold from getting to all the different levels of the cabinet. People should also avoid putting food that is still hot into the refrigerator, since it not only increases the temperature inside the cabinet, but also affects the food conservation and raises the energy consumption, because the refrigerator has got to work harder to achieve the proper temperature again.
During these times of pandemic it is also not recommended to put dairy products at the refrigerator door, since these products decompose fast and being submitted to temperature changes compromises its freshness.
“When it comes to preserving and maintaining food freshness, the key is in temperature variation, maintaining a constant temperature improves the preservation of food and beverages,” says David Ramírez, Applications Engineer at Nidec Global Appliance Technical Support .
Cleaning twice a month
An important aspect that contributes to the preservation of food is cleaning the refrigerator at least twice a month, since the accumulation of microorganisms generated by spilled milk or juice, or any spoiled food, creates a contamination system that keeps traveling inside the refrigerator accelerating the decomposing process of other food.
“We are in a situation we have never imagined and it is necessary to change habits, create an awareness of the optimized use of the refrigerator as well as its proper maintenance, by all family members. Added to that, we should be careful because this moment requires us to have our refrigerator operating in its 100% capacity, since it is an essential equipment that helps to prolong the freshness of what we eat”, comments Jorge Romero, Sales Account Manager at Nidec Global Appliance.
To Nidec Global Appliance it is important to develop new technologies that improve the conservation of food, that is why we maintain a strong partnership with refrigerators manufacturers, in order to fulfil the needs of consumers and to keep providing efficient compressors, which are responsible for regulating these appliances’ temperature.
About Nidec Global Appliance
With over 17,000 employees across 9 countries, Nidec Global Appliance manufactures and commercializes components for home and commercial applications, including cooling solutions, motors for washing machines, dryers and dishwashers, as well as components for heating, ventilation, air-conditioning and refrigeration systems (HVAC&R). Its focus is to deliver a complete and innovative portfolio with high standards of quality, reliability, competitiveness and energy efficiency. The division is part of Nidec Corporation, a global leader in motors and components, with headquarters in Japan. Further information: www.nidec.com