Where does this come from, and can I check it?

Water sublimates from the surface into dry cold air and leaves it leathery. The figure is taken from USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service, which is linked in full on this page. Every fact on Mondo Knows names its source rather than repeating an unsourced claim.

Is this really a food fact?

Yes. It sits on the Food shelf, one of 2,600 sourced facts grouped into space, animals, the human body, history, science and more. Category pages collect every fact in the same field.

What else can I read about it?

The links under the fact point to a quiz, game, puzzle or calculator on the same subject, and the shelf below shows related facts. The wording here is original, and quoted phrases are marked as quotations.

Mondo Knows Facts

Freezer burn is ice leaving the food

Water sublimates from the surface into dry cold air and leaves it leathery In a frost free freezer the air is dry, and ice at the surface of unwrapped food can turn straight to vapour without passing through liquid. The lost moisture leaves pale, tough patches that taste stale, though the food remains safe. Pressing out air and wrapping tightly slows the process. It sits in Mondo's food collection, one of 200 facts that each trace back to the reference below.

Where this comes from

USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service

Facts that can change over time are reviewed and updated. If something here looks wrong, Mondo would rather know than be confidently incorrect.

Go further

Science trivia

More facts like this

Rapid freezing creates smooth ice cream textureForming tiny ice crystals prevents a grainy texture in frozen dairy products Ice cream is half air by volume in some tubsOverrun measures how much air is whipped into the mix Sorbet stays scoopable only with enough sugarSugar and a little alcohol lower the freezing point of the fruit puree A green potato has been making chlorophyll and solanineLight turns potatoes green and also raises bitter glycoalkaloids in the skin Roasted coffee releases gas for daysCarbon dioxide trapped inside the bean escapes slowly once roasting ends The fridge door is the warmest shelfIt swings open to room air, so temperatures there fluctuate the most

Tags: freezing, storage, sublimation

Freezer burn is ice leaving the food: the short answers

Where does this come from, and can I check it?: Water sublimates from the surface into dry cold air and leaves it leathery. The figure is taken from USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service, which is linked in full on this page. Every fact on Mondo Knows names its source rather than repeating an unsourced claim.
Is this really a food fact?: Yes. It sits on the Food shelf, one of 2,600 sourced facts grouped into space, animals, the human body, history, science and more. Category pages collect every fact in the same field.
What else can I read about it?: The links under the fact point to a quiz, game, puzzle or calculator on the same subject, and the shelf below shows related facts. The wording here is original, and quoted phrases are marked as quotations.