Flash freezing

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Flash freezing refers to the application of supercooling in various kinds of industries whereby objects are quickly frozen by subjecting them to cryogenic temperatures.

For example, flash freezing is used in the food industry to quickly freeze perishable food items (see frozen food). In this case, water contained inside the food items is subjected to temperatures well below its melting/freezing point (273K or 0°C). This causes the water inside the foods to freeze in a very short period of time. See supercooling for the further details of this process.

A supercooled liquid will stay in a liquid state beyond the normal freezing point if it is pure enough and has a smooth enough container. Once disturbed, it will rapidly change into a solid.

American inventor Clarence Birdseye developed the quick-freezing process of food preservation in the early 20th century. He is considered the father of the frozen-food industry. His idea was to keep our food from decay and infection, by turning water to ice, making it unavailable for bacterial growth and chemical reactions. Freezing since then has become a major part of life for everyday people and is one of the most commonly used processes commercially and domestically.