14 Nov 2024 Could you live without a refrigerator?
As many problems have been created or enabled by refrigeration as have been solved by it…. a fascinating new book unravels one of the food industry’s most vital tools….
Well-regarded American writer, Nicola Twilley, has published a new book, Frostbite: How Refrigeration Changed Our Food, Our Planet, and Ourselves.
The book explores the profound impact of refrigeration on our food systems, the environment, and even human society. Here, she highlights five key themes from her book that challenge the way we think about cold and food preservation.
1. Refrigeration as a life-extension tool for produce
At first glance, refrigeration may seem like a simple, even mundane, tool. However, its role in food preservation is nothing short of revolutionary. As Twilley explains, produce is still “alive” or, more accurately, “respiring” until it’s eaten or decomposes. By controlling temperature, refrigeration slows down this respiration process, extending the shelf life of fruits and vegetables.
Twilley delves into early 20th-century research where scientists discovered that storing apples in sealed, cold environments could significantly slow down their natural respiration. Today, high-tech storage facilities in places like Washington State use controlled atmospheres—adjusting levels of oxygen and carbon dioxide to keep apples “asleep” for up to a year. For consumers, this means biting into apples that have been preserved in suspended animation, retaining the same crisp texture and flavor as when they were first harvested.
Beyond apples, Twilley explores innovations in packaging, such as the advanced salad bags designed to regulate gas exchange and keep delicate greens fresher longer, illustrating how far we’ve come in perfecting the art of food preservation.
2. Redefining freshness in a refrigerated world
A century ago, refrigerated food was often viewed with suspicion. In Frostbite, Twilley recounts a banquet in 1911 aimed at convincing Americans to trust cold-stored food. Over the years, attitudes have shifted dramatically, with refrigeration now equated with freshness. This has created a paradox, where foods stored for long periods in cold storage are still labeled as fresh.
However, this reliance on refrigerated storage has blurred the lines between what’s truly fresh and what’s simply cold. As Twilley points out, millions of pounds of perfectly good food are wasted each year because consumers misinterpret the meaning of expiration dates. This contributes to massive food waste, which in turn exacerbates global greenhouse gas emissions. Twilley calls for a reassessment of how we define “freshness,” suggesting that it’s not only possible but essential to rethink our relationship to food preservation.
3. The expanding artificial Arctic
While the polar ice caps are rapidly melting, Twilley notes that the artificial cold environments we’ve created to preserve food are growing at an alarming rate. The global cold chain, the network of refrigerated storage and transport systems, currently spans 5.2 billion cubic feet and is expanding fast, especially as developing countries like Rwanda look to adopt American-style refrigeration systems.
However, refrigeration is energy-intensive and relies on refrigerants that contribute significantly to global warming. Twilley highlights the urgent need to reassess the environmental costs of cooling, especially since the energy demands of refrigeration already account for over a sixth of the world’s fossil fuel consumption. She suggests that we must manage refrigerants more effectively to mitigate the climate impact, as continuing with current practices could undermine future food security.
4. Is refrigeration truly a blessing?
While refrigeration has undoubtedly revolutionized the way we store and transport food, Twilley presents a more nuanced view. Refrigeration has contributed to some positive outcomes—preserving food, improving food safety, and enabling global trade. But it has also created or exacerbated a host of problems, from environmental degradation to increased economic inequality and food waste.
Twilley argues that the food system has become “frostbitten”—impacted by the very technology that was supposed to enhance it. While refrigeration has made life more convenient, it has also contributed to issues like the rise of processed foods, the environmental impact of industrial farming, and the decline of walkable city centers. The time has come to rethink our over-reliance on refrigeration as we look for more sustainable, equitable food solutions.
5. Alternatives to cold: A new era of food preservation?
For much of the 20th century, refrigeration was seen as the ultimate solution to food preservation. However, Twilley highlights that cooling is just one method—and not always the most effective or sustainable. She draws on historical efforts to preserve food through coatings, fumigation, and other techniques, which have been overshadowed by the rise of refrigeration.
In recent years, innovation has revived interest in alternative methods of food preservation. One exciting example is the development of coatings that can extend the shelf life of fruits without refrigeration, mimicking the benefits of cold storage without the energy demands. Twilley suggests that the future of food preservation may not lie in cold storage at all but in exploring these alternative technologies that prioritize sustainability and minimize waste.
By rethinking refrigeration, Twilley argues, we can create a more resilient and sustainable food system—one that reduces food waste, addresses climate change, and redefines what it means to keep food fresh. As we move forward, the key may not be to keep everything cold, but to develop smarter, more energy-efficient solutions that benefit both the planet and its inhabitants.
Source: Fast Company
READ AN EXCERPT FROM FROSTBITE HERE!
More from Nicola Twilley
Twilley is the co-author of Until Proven Safe: The History and Future of Quarantine, named one of the best books of 2021 by Time, NPR, The Guardian, and the Financial Times.
She is also co-host of Gastropod, an award-winning and popular podcast that looks at food through the lens of science and history, and a frequent contributor to The New Yorker.
Here is the Gastropod episode discussing her new book on refrigeration: