How long must infested food materials be frozen at 0°F to effectively kill all insect stages?

To effectively kill all stages of insects present in infested food materials, it is necessary to freeze the items at a temperature of 0°F for a specific duration. Freezing at this temperature disrupts the biological processes of insects, ultimately leading to their death.

The correct duration for freezing is two weeks. At this time frame, the cold temperature penetrates the food thoroughly, ensuring that it reaches all areas where insects might be hiding. Scientific studies have indicated that this duration is effective for all life stages of common pests, which can sometimes be resilient in less enduring freezing conditions. Hence, maintaining the food at this consistent low temperature for two weeks is critical to ensure that complete eradication of the pests occurs.

The other durations would not provide the same guarantee of infestation elimination. Shorter periods may allow some insect life stages to survive, particularly if temperatures fluctuate or if the freezing process does not uniformly reach all parts of the food. Therefore, two weeks represents a comprehensive and reliable approach to pest control through freezing.