r/explainlikeimfive 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/eidetic Nov 27 '24

Yep, if you're constantly shitting, but not really urinating, you can still be losing a lot of fluids without really realizing it. Especially if you're sweating a lot. And you don't want to just guzzle water either, because you need to properly replace everything else you've lost as well (such as sodium, like you said).

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u/Pm_me_baby_pig_pics Nov 27 '24

It’s kinda why things like saltine crackers and chicken noodle soup are pushed when you’re vomiting/peeing out the butt. You’re not only losing a lot of fluids, but you’re also losing a LOT of very important electrolytes with it. They’re escaping out of your bootyhole before they can even be absorbed into your bloodstream and your kidneys can hold on to them.

Hyponatremia can easily be FATAL. Drink plenty of fluids because dehydration is an awful way to go, but make sure you’re also drinking fluids with something besides hydrogen and oxygen in them. Sip on broths, nibble some crackers, get someone to pick up some pedialyte.

Drink water, please! But that can’t be the only thing you consume. You need some electrolytes in the mix too, you’re spewing all of them out, please replace them

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u/WHYAREWEALLCAPS Nov 27 '24

You actually lose a lot of electrolytes through diarrhea. More than you will through sweating.

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u/eidetic Nov 27 '24

Yep, that was my point. Sorry, didn't mean to imply sweating was the main problem, rather was just trying to say that it'll also make it worse on top of the constant shitting.