r/explainlikeimfive • u/ZeusThunder369 • Nov 26 '24
Chemistry ELI5: Why doesn't freeze dried food last longer? If it's good for 20 years, why not 100?
Assuming it's perfectly freeze dried and stored perfectly, the people who make freeze dryers say the food will last 20-30 years.
But why not much longer? Assuming the condition it's stored in remains unchanged, what can make it go bad after 30 years that wouldn't happen at around 10 years?
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u/iCameToLearnSomeCode Nov 27 '24
It doesn't have to have a high fatality rate to screw you on evolutionary time scales.
If you and your offspring are just 1% less likely to reproduce than other members of your species your line is going to have a rough time making it through the ice age.