Which temperature is used as the freezer storage threshold?

• A. −18°C or lower
• B. −5°C or lower
• C. −20°C or lower
• D. −10°C or lower

Answer: (A)

Freezing preserves food by dramatically slowing down or stopping microbial growth and enzymatic activity, keeping quality and safety for longer. The freezer storage threshold is the temperature at which foods are considered truly frozen for extended storage. The standard value used is −18°C or lower. At this temperature water is solid, ice crystals form, and most spoilage microbes become inactive, so foods stay safe and maintain texture and flavor over time. Temperatures like −5°C or −10°C aren’t consistently cold enough for long-term frozen storage, so quality can deteriorate sooner. While some freezers go even colder, −18°C is the widely adopted benchmark for frozen storage.