Final answer:
Frozen food must be stored at a temperature below -2°C and can be thawed in the refrigerator, cold water, or microwave. Refrigerated food should be stored at or below 4°C to inhibit bacterial growth. Freezing does not kill microbes, only preserves them.
Step-by-step explanation:
To define frozen food, it must be stored at a temperature below -2°C (28°F). At this temperature, microbial growth is stopped, and susceptible organisms may even be killed. Frozen foods should be thawed in the refrigerator, immersed in cold water changed every 30 minutes, or in the microwave at temperatures not conducive for bacterial growth. Thawed foods should be treated like fresh perishables due to the possibility of bacterial growth restarting.
To define food as free of evidence of previous temperature abuse, it is crucial to maintain proper temperatures during storage. For refrigerated foods, the temperature should be at or below 4°C (40°F) to inhibit bacterial growth. In a power outage, if the refrigerator temperature stays below 40°F until the power is restored, the food is safe to eat. If the temperature rises above 40°F for two hours or more, the food may not be safe and should be discarded.
It is important to note that freezing food does not kill microbes; it only preserves them. Thawing frozen foods should be done properly to prevent bacterial growth, and refreezing food once it has thawed is not recommended.