miracle thaw

[tkmartinez]

not a ??, but an answer for the Miracle thaw tray that unfortunately has been discontinued. How it works is, Metal alloy that draws energy heat from the air & displaces it back into the metal alloy of the tray & then into product that you are defrosting. Does anyone know why they discontinued something that works so great ??

[gen2]

I think this answers your question:

There are problems with thawing out meat at room temperature. The chance of bacteria build-up is much higher at room temperatures. If the �Miracle Thaw� tray took longer than the times advertised on the box (and apparently it does) then this danger is of some concern. Enough of a concern for the FTC to do a special consumer alert. Here is an excerpt from that alert:

At issue is the proper storage of perishable foods such as meat, poultry, and fish. Harmful bacteria can grow on foods held at temperatures between 40�F and 140�F a danger zone that�s above refrigeration and below cooking or holding temperatures and this in turn can lead to food-borne illness. Use of some products like food thawing trays and thermo-electric coolers may involve leaving food at these unsafe temperatures for significant amounts of time.

Advertisements for thawing trays claim that frozen food can be thawed rapidly at room temperature. Some ads claim the trays are made of a special �superconductive� metal that speeds the natural thawing process. Yet most are simple aluminum trays, and the same accelerated thawing effect can be achieved with any metal pan. In fact, thawing times for these trays often are exaggerated in advertisements.

Because thawing trays require that food be thawed at room temperature, and many items will have greatly extended thawing times of well over two hours, there�s some risk that harmful bacteria may develop. Generally, food safety experts agree that to avoid that risk, frozen food should be thawed in the refrigerator, in a microwave oven, or in cold water, but never at room temperature.

[gen2]

continued . . .


For the complete text of this alert go to:

www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/pubs/alerts/foodalrt.htm

Also, The FTC brought suit against Premier Products Inc. Here is a summary of the order they obtained:

The consent order with Premier Products, Inc., T.V. Products, Inc., and T.V.P. Corporation, all of Florham Park, New Jersey, as well as company officers Michael Sander and Issie Kroll, settles charges that they made false and unsubstantiated safety and effectiveness claims for the �Miracle Thaw� Teflon-coated aluminum tray, which purportedly thaws frozen food quickly and safely. The consent order prohibits the respondents from misrepresenting how long it takes any food storage or preparation product to defrost, thaw or prepare food items, the process by which it does so, and the existence or results of any study or research. The order also bars the respondents from misrepresenting the risk of bacteria buildup on foods when consumers use such a product, and requires them to have substantiation for claims about the safety or efficacy of food storage or preparation products, and to include a disclosure about the potential risk of harmful bacteria buildup when making claims about the effectiveness or usefulness of �Miracle Thaw� or substantially similar products.

� www.ftc.gov/opa/1997/02/petapp13.htm

For the complete decision and order:

www.ftc.gov/os/1997/02/c3720cmp.htm

[gen2]

The above was found here:

http://www.skepticfriends.org/forum/showquesti on.asp?faq=2&fldAuto=24