Do Spaza Dish Covers Keep Food Fresh?

The question that I get most about our dish covers is, do they keep your food fresh like plastic?

As mother nature would have it, fresh is related to time. The theory that plastic can 'lock-in freshness' was discovered around an advertising agency's boardroom table and not in a science lab. 

Let's take a carrot for instance. The carrot is fresh when it is pulled from the earth. From that moment on, it becomes less fresh. 

One of the most frequently asked questions we get is:

“Do your dish covers keep food fresh like plastic wrap?”

As Mother Nature would have it, freshness is related to time.
The idea that plastic can “lock in freshness” was most likely cooked up around an advertising agency’s boardroom table—not in a science lab.

Let’s take a carrot, for instance. A carrot is fresh when it’s pulled from the earth. From that moment on, it begins its slow journey away from freshness. The best we can do is delay that journey—how we store our food can help, but it won’t stop time.

Why Breathable is Better

A breathable cover, such as a Spaza Dish Cover, allows for evaporation—and evaporation aids in cooling.

You may have a vague memory of this from a science test moons ago. The process of evaporation requires heat energy, and as water molecules change from liquid to vapour, they take some of that heat energy with them. This results in a cooling effect. It’s the same principle your body uses to stay cool when you sweat.

When you wrap warm or room-temperature food in plastic, you’re sealing in that temperature. The food can’t cool efficiently because the warm air and moisture are trapped. Once in the fridge, the bowl gradually cools, but in the meantime, the food tries to regulate its own temperature by releasing moisture. With nowhere to go, that moisture becomes condensation—droplets forming on the inside of the plastic.

And where does that condensation come from? Vapour trapped inside the plastic wrap, now turned back into water droplets—right back onto your food.

By contrast, a Spaza Dish Cover allows moisture to evaporate, helping your food cool down faster and more evenly. This slows the spoilage process in a natural, breathable way.

But Will It Dry Out?

A common follow-up question is: “Won’t my food dry out?”

It depends on what it is, how long it’s stored, and where it’s kept in the fridge. A refrigerator is not a desert—there is moisture in the air, and food won’t dry out instantly.

We did a little test: penne pasta with a drizzle of olive oil, stored in the fridge under a Spaza Dish Cover. It was perfectly good for three days. After six days it had dried out a bit—but the dog loved it.

In Summary

Plastic wrap gives the illusion of keeping food fresh by sealing it up tightly—but in reality, it traps heat and moisture, which can speed up spoilage for certain foods.

Spaza Dish Covers, on the other hand, are breathable and reusable. They support efficient cooling and reduce condensation, all without plastic waste.

Pair that with fresh, seasonal food from close to home, and you’ll find yourself eating fresher, better-quality meals—with less plastic and less guilt. 

Shop our range of Spaza Dish and Bowl Covers.