Which of the following best describes what happens to viruses when food is frozen?

• A. Viruses multiply rapidly during freezing.
• B. Viruses become permanently inactivated and cannot infect hosts after thawing.
• C. Viruses remain viable and can resume activity when the food is thawed.
• D. Viruses are completely destroyed by the freezing process.

Answer: (C)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand the nature of viruses: Viruses are not living organisms and require a host cell to multiply; they do not multiply on food or in the environment.
2. Consider the effect of freezing on viruses: Freezing typically preserves viruses by slowing down their metabolic and biochemical processes, but it does not destroy them.
3. Analyze what happens during thawing: When frozen food is thawed, viruses that were preserved can become active again and potentially infect a host if conditions allow.
4. Evaluate the options given: Since viruses do not multiply during freezing, and freezing does not permanently inactivate or destroy them, the best description is that viruses remain viable and can resume activity after thawing.
5. Conclude that freezing acts as a preservation method for viruses rather than a method of destruction or inactivation.