We all need food to survive. According to NPR.org, Americans eat 1,996 pounds of food per year. That is equivalent to the weight of an elephant. July is National Culinary Arts Month, a month long celebration to promote awareness of cooks and their contributions to new culinary trends. Any cook will tell you that having great food quality is critical to any dish that you are preparing. Did you know that air and water has a big impact on the food we eat. How? For starters, water is used throughout the production of food. From the farm to processing to the kitchen table, water is a direct ingredient in many of our favorite dishes.

Hard water in particular can have a negative impact on food quality. How? Fruits and vegetables become extremely tough if cooked in hard water. This is due to the amount of calcium ions in the water influencing its textural properties. The taste of pasta can also be negatively affected by this. The Everpure Water Softening Cartridge softens your water by reducing minerals like calcium and magnesium, which are the culprits of hard water. This cartridge will also help improve the taste of your beverages, such as tea or coffee as well.

Sometimes, half the battle in food quality is keeping the food fresh. To do this, many of us resort to our refrigerator to keep meals safe to consume. But often, the refrigerator could be doing the opposite of what we want it to do. If your refrigerator air filter has not been replaced or is not working properly, your food will not stay fresh and will create unpleasant food odors in your fridge. How do you overcome this problem? The Frigidaire PureAir Ultra Refrigerator Air Filter eliminates foul odors from your refrigerator and freezer. This Frigidaire filter uses a combination of activated carbon, baking soda and zeolites, that will last up to 6 months and help food stay fresh.

Even if you are not a culinary artist, you still want to prepare meals that are pleasing to the palate for you and your family. The next time you notice a drop in your food quality, do not automatically blame your cooking. It could be a result of the water quality or even your refrigerator’s air filter.