The freezer compartment
Deep-freeze information
•Operate the freezer for 12 hours before loading it.
•Food must be frozen as rapidly as possible when placed in a freezer to maintain its quality.
•It is possible to keep food for a long time period only at temperatures of 18 degrees C or lower.
•The quality of food in a freezer can be maintained for many months at temperatures of 18 degrees C or lower.
•Prepacked commercially frozen food should be stored in accordance with the frozen food manufacturer’s instructions for a (4 star) frozen food storage compartment.
•To ensure that the high quality achieved by the frozen food manufacturer and the food retailer is maintained, the following should be remembered:
Put packages in the freezer as quickly as possible after purchase. Ensure that contents are labelled and dated. Do not exceed “Use By” or “Best Before” dates on the packaging.
If there is a power failure do not open the freezer door. Even if the power failure lasts up to the “Temperature rise time” as indicated on the refrigerator specifications table, frozen food will not be affected. In case the failure lasts longer, the food must be checked and when necessary, must be consumed immediately or must be frozen after being cooked.
•Wrap all food before storage. Seal all foods, or place in airtight containers to prevent dehydration.
•Eliminate all the air pockets from packages and keep air out by firm sealing.
•When packaging in sheet material such as aluminium foil, parcel tightly and press out all air pockets. All folds should be sealed with deepfreeze sealing tape.
•Unwrapped food containing acids or salt may permanently stain the cabinet interior.
•When loading bulk into the freezer, load one quarter at a time and allow to freeze before loading the next quarter.
•Divide food into reasonable portions according to your requirements.
•Allow hot food to cool before putting it into the freezer. Freeze cooked food in small quantities. This ensures rapid freezing and maintains the quality of the food.
•Food that has defrosted must be consumed within 24 hours. Only cooked food can be refrozen. Do not refreeze food that has defrosted.
•Do not exceed the expiry date shown on food packs.
•Do not take out frozen food with wet hands. Your hands could stick to the frozen food.
•Always use appropriate packaging material to avoid odour penetration or degradation of the food.
•Transport prefrozen food from the supermarket in foil lined cooler bags and transfer to the home freezer as soon as possible.
•Never exceed the maximum freezing capacity of the freezer.
•Do not freeze too large a quantity of food at any one time. The quality of the food is best preserved when it is frozen right through to the centre as quickly as possible. Take special care not to mix already frozen food and fresh food.
Note If you find that the door of the freezer is difficult to open just after you have closed it, this is due to the pressure difference which will equalize and allow for the door to be opened normally after a few minutes.
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