RETA Breeze May-June 2022

that causes the molecules and atoms within a substance to vibrate or move. The amount of heat present is shown by changes in temperature and state.” You won’t find in your RETA books a corresponding definition for cold. I attended a class a couple years ago where Douglas Reindl, professor at the University of Wisconsin at Madison and associated with the Industrial Refrigeration Consor- tium observed that “cold” should be considered an ingredient in much of our food. He had some clever graphics that showed an ingredient list on a product

Cold temperatures are used to slow down deterioration and spoilage.” The work that we do in our industry is best defined by the definition of refrigeration: we remove heat from where it is unwanted and reject it to a place where it does no harm. Would you like to be able to do that more safely, efficiently and effectively? We at RETA can help with that.

wrapper, and one of the listed ingredients was “Cold”. His point was that the huge importance of “cold” to the food industry is all too often ignored by those who should know better. I totally agree. I liked Doug’s concept of “latent cold” the secret ingredient that you won’t see listed on the wrapper. Like I said, the RETA books don’t supply a succinct definition for “cold” in their Glossary. However, you will find a definition for Cold Storage: “The storage, for extended periods, of food products at lowered, but above freezing, temperatures.

Keith Harper RETA National President

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