Many elderly people believe that freezing food means it will never go bad. However, a recent social media post has sparked widespread discussion after a netizen revealed discovering frozen rice dumplings that had been stored in their grandmother’s freezer for more than seven years.
The post, shared on Threads during a Lunar New Year clean-up, showed the dumplings sitting untouched in the freezer since 2017. The user joked that the dumplings were “old enough to start primary school”. The light-hearted remark quickly went viral, drawing 2.5 million views and 160,000 likes, and triggering what many described as a wave of “grandma’s fridge archaeology”.
Many commenters chimed in with similar stories, poking fun at the common belief that frozen food lasts indefinitely. Some claimed their grandparents had shark’s fin stored since 2007, while others mentioned frozen fish balls “old enough to be in Year Four”, decades-old canned peaches, and even a 16-year-old bottle of soy sauce sitting in the fridge door.
Despite the humour, Taiwan’s Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has reminded the public that freezing does not mean food can be preserved forever. Even at temperatures of minus 18°C, enzymatic reactions and fat oxidation continue, albeit at a slower rate, which can eventually lead to deterioration in quality.
The authority also noted that household freezers may not always maintain a stable temperature. Frequent opening and closing of the freezer, overstocking, improper sealing, and ignoring expiry dates can all accelerate spoilage. Consumers are therefore advised to monitor storage conditions carefully and to avoid assuming that frozen food remains safe indefinitely.
