Re: Wet HIE Film Boxes

[Wayde Allen <allen@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

On Sun, 5 Jan 1997, Robert Long wrote:

> On Sun, 05 Jan 1997 01:16:06 +0000 (GMT), you wrote:
> 
> |Gelatine is however a `kind of meat product' since it is
> |made out of bones as far as I know.
> 
> It was on this basis that a dealer once told me never to refreeze film
> and claimed I had ruined one film by doing so.  Willem--confirmed by
> others in this list--says he often refreezes film without ill effect,
> and the senior partner at the dealership where I was warned against
> refreezing also confirms that there is no harm in it.  So I no longer
> worry about it.

You don't want to thaw and refreeze meat due to the cellular damage caused
by the expansion and contraction of the water.  Basically, each time you
freeze the meat, you burst some of the cell membranes.  This will destroy
the texture, and probably some of the flavor.  I don't think it will make
it inedible, but rather un-palatable.

Gelatin is a protein product derived from connective tissue.  It has
already been treated to destroy the cellular structure it is derived from,
so cell rupture is not an issue.  Not to mention that the film base should
contain relatively little water anyway.  There shouldn't be a problem with
re-freezing film.

- Wayde Allen
  (allen@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx or 74160.3410@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx)


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Topic No. 3