Ice cream is a popular treat that many Canadians enjoy year-round. Ice cream could be served as a dessert, a snack, a special occasions cake, and even as topping on iced coffee! But just like other dairy products, ice cream should be carefully stored in the freezer until it is ready for consumption. For food safety reasons, the freezer or cold storage unit where ice cream is stored should be set at a very specific temperature. According to the International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA), the ideal freezer temperature for ice cream is 0°F (-18°C) or colder. If a container of ice cream is properly frozen, it should feel hard to the touch. When the freezer temperature rises to 10°F (-12°C) or higher, the ice cream will start to soften and change in texture and flavour. Ideally, ice cream should be stored far away from the door of the walk-in freezer or cold storage unit. When ice cream is stored too close to the door, it will experience temperature fluctuations, and ice crystals will begin to form on the containers. Storing ice cream next to other foods should also be avoided to prevent odour contamination. Most importantly, ice cream should not be allowed to melt and re-frozen. Not only will temperature fluctuations change the texture and taste of ice cream, warm temperatures could encourage the growth of bacteria, making the ice cream unsafe for our digestive system.
At Coolmate Rentals, we specialize in providing restaurants, caterers and other food businesses with rental mobile coolers, freezers, and combo cooler and freezer units that range from 6’ to 16’ in size. Our white glove service means we will deliver the trailer to your business on time, set up and level the trailer and verify the correct temperature for you. You could rent a freezer from Coolmate Rentals on a daily, weekly, or monthly (and longer) basis. If you are in search of freezer rentals for ice cream or other frozen and perishable foods, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us to learn more about our units.