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SCMP Reporter

CONSUMER Council bosses yesterday poured cold water on 'miracle' defrosting trays, saying they worked no better than an average wok.

 The council has filed a complaint with the Television and Entertainment Licensing Authority over extravagant advertising claims, which tests showed fell short of the truth.

 And council spokesman Dr Lo Chi-kin said using the trays increased the risk of harmful micro-organisms growing in meat left out to defrost.

 He said: 'Defrosting with a tray or in the open air has its drawbacks. The outside of the meat will gradually rise to reach the vulnerable temperature range of four to 63 degrees Celsius, when pathogenic micro-organisms can grow rapidly.'  Only two of the four brands tested by the council carried warnings about leaving meat on the trays for too long.

 One Taiwanese-made model, the Magical Tray, available for $188 at Watson's stores, claims to be able to defrost two chicken breast fillets in seven minutes. But in tests they took about an hour to thaw.

 Dr Lo said: 'None of the trays came close to their claimed defrosting times.

 'We also compared the results with the rate on an anodised aluminium wok, a common utensil in any Hong Kong kitchen. The results were clear. There was no significant difference in the time the food took to defrost on the trays.

 'Consumers should draw their own conclusion as to whether such products offer value for money.'  Dr Lo advised consumers to defrost meat in their refrigerators or, if in a hurry, to use a microwave.

 The council invited sales agents for the four brands to respond to the test results before publishing them yesterday, but no replies were received.

 A spokesman for TV Media, which advertises one of the models included in the survey, said the firm was requesting data from tests carried out by its supplier. But she said its own tests had not shown much variance with the supplier's claims.



Defrosting tray tests provide cold comfort