I'm stumped. I'm not so sure what is the right answer to your question. I'll do some research and get back to you if I find an anything. You should email the people at Medifast as they probably could give you an answer..
I don't have a specific answer for you, but I would refrigerate it (well wrapped)...
Hmm...if that is the case I am seriously doubting the condition of the loaf I ordered. 6 days enroute with UPS...in summer..
Jodi..
Well, I personally have never had good luck with the breads that I made in my dehydrator. I never quite get it fully dried, so I refrigerate mine. It also makes for a little more flexible bread or cracker. I must keep mine too low..
But I have seen many crackers out on the market, that sit there for long periods, and maybe your bread loaf is really dried out like the crackers..
Let me know if the bread is really dry. IF all the moisture is out, then it should last longer than what I was thinking...
Just a little suggestion even though you didn't ask! that, for crackers, they should be dry and crispy as long as they're thin enough and you dehydrate them for long enough. Just keep dehydrating till they're like you want them. And ... as far as dehydrated breads, I always keep them in the fridge; I want them to be softer and more flexible. But never crackers. If they're in the fridge, they don't stay crispy at all. I don't know how low you're dehydrating at, but even at 80 of 90 degrees, they'll eventually crisp up...
Be careful with low temps. If your bread isn't warm enough it will turn sour. I have the best luck when I dehydrate at 145 for the first hour then turn down to 105. [G. Cousens and Excaliber recommend] Make sure to flip it half-way through..
Likewise on crackers [and granola for that matter]. Dehydrate the heck out of them..
RawTruth, I think you posted earlier today about choosing not to freeze your Medifast food because it damages nutrients. I don't either. But it got me wondering about freezing dehydrated food, since my granola gets soft in the fridge. Freezing damages the cells [and therefore nutrients] because it causes the cell walls to burst due to moisture expansion. So if freezing very well dehydrated foods I wonder if the damage would be minimal? One can freeze seeds because of course they need to make it through winter to sprout in the spring. Thinkin' out loud....
Christa..
Hmmmmm .... now you've got me thinking, too! *shakes her head to clear it but, wait, here comes another thought* Hee Hee..
Crista you are absolutely right about the frozen foods, the cell walls can't burst if there is no moisture in them..
I freeze my Medifast food all the time, after dehydrating and they taste great, have wonderful texture, and are fine..
If I thought they wouldn't be as nutritious, I wouldn't do it..
As far as sprouted breads are concerned, I make them and there is a real issue with them souring..
I would never eat them 6 days old, even from the fridge, let alone in the summer heat on a UPS truck, they probably wouldn't be raw anymore even if they did reach you unspoiled, as those trucks get mighty hot and they probably get above 115 degrees, as the inside fo a car can get to 180 in less than a minute in 80 degree weather if the windows are up..
So, I would ask for my money back from the place you bought it, for not shipping it over night, and I would cerainly not accept it from UPS...
I emailed the company and they sent me my UPS tracking number. It shows it due to delivered today. That is 7 days on the road. Even for UPS ground delivery...that is too long. I emailed them back and told them I was concerned about the condition of the order after being on the road in hot weather for 7 days..
We'll see what they say. As I told them in my email....most companies wiht perishable product insists on overnight delivery in summertime. I would have paid extra for that..
Jodi..

