Feasibility of a "Warm Refrigerator"

rghusted

I'm looking for some critical feedback on the feasibility of this concept.

As far as I'm aware, the purpose of a refrigerator is to extend the shelf life of perishable food products by lowering the environmental temperature of the food, thus slowing the growth of bacteria. Correct?

Wouldn't a more effective and efficient mechanism to preserve food be to remove oxygen from the environment thus preventing bacterial growth altogether? This could be done with a simple flame to consume the available oxygen within the sealed environment... hence a "warm refrigerator."

Of course you could still lower the temperature - I prefer my beers cold :-)

Thoughts? Comments? Thank you.

Janus

Then you would have to worry about anaerobic bacteria growth. These bacteria thrive in oxygenless enviroments and are actually poisioned by oxygen. One of these is the one that produces the Botulism poision as a by-product.

Besides, we already have such a "warm" food preservation method. It is called "canning". In canning, however, you have to make sure that food and canning container are both sterilized by heating in order to destroy all bacteria first( to prevent the growth of the the afore mentioned anaerobic bacteria.)

rghusted

Right you are! I guess that's why you're the mentor. And, anaerobic appears to be more toxic to humans than aerobic bacteria. Had I remembered more from my high school biology class, I would have already known the answer. Thanks for the insight.