Mitsubishi Electric, NZ advertises the Mitsubishi Electric Connoisseur Refrigerators as being able to"prolong the wholesome and nutritional quality of a variety of food" and "keep food fresher for longer" because of its separate temperature zones.

Update 2014-12-19

I received a reply from Black Diamond Technologies Limited within a week of asking. They addressed each of my questions individually as shown below.This was great to have, but being a commercial company, they still do not give any research data to explain their technology, or publish their results externally.

"Hi Ashleigh,
Thank you for contacting BDT Online.
Please see below answers to your questions which I hope assist you in your enquiry.

Could you please tell me what kind of studies have been done to show that separate temperature zones will "prolong the wholesome and nutritional quality of a variety of food" and "keep food fresher for longer"?

Mitsubishi Electric refrigerators provide key features which help keep food fresher for longer and prolong the wholesome and nutritional quality of a variety of food.
This includes, but is not limited to:
Independent temperature zones -
The MR-EX562 and MR-EX655 Connoisseur models feature 5 compartments that are completely separate. With a total of 16 sensors the refrigerator can be set to 19 different temperature levels for the refrigerator compartment, freezer compartment, or versa compartment (with freezing setting), while it can be set to 5 different levels for the versa compartment (soft freezing). This enables more precise, faster and better management of the refrigerator compartments allowing food to be stored in the correct place at the correct temperature for your needs and to preserve the quality of your food. Furthermore the independent compartments ensure odours are not transferred between compartments.

Vitamin Factory in Humidity Drawer
Orange light-emitting diodes (wavelength of 590 nanometers) promote photosynthesis in the greens, increasing the Vitamin C levels in vegetables.

Versa Drawer –
The Versa Drawer allows food to be stored under normal freezer conditions of between approximately -22°C to -16°C, or Soft Freeze at approximately -9°C to -5°C. Unique to Mitsubishi Electric Connoisseur Refrigerators, soft-freezing allows you to prolong the life of the food without compromising its quality or taste for up to 3 weeks in a ‘soft state’, much longer than the refrigerator or chilled case compartment.

The Versa compartment also offers the function of “Supercool Freezing” technology, which can preserve both freshness and taste.

The LED Sensor, micro-control processer and twin dampers in the Versa Drawer are also designed specifically so that hot food up to 80ºC can be stored immediately to lock in the flavour.

Egg Storage –
Research has shown that when refrigerated, eggs which are stored stationary instead of in the fridge door have increased shelf life and freshness of up to four times due to the lack of vibration.

“Keep Vegetables Moist” Function –
This functions lowers the cooling airflow of the humidity drawer to reduce dryness and increase the moisture levels of various types of produce to help keep them fresh.

Is this in comparison to other fridges, or other storage conditions (e.g. room temperature)?

The advertising statements we make are based on comparison to other storage options which do not offer any of the above features.

Has this research been peer reviewed and published by anyone, either in your company or externally?

Mitsubishi Electric test the refrigerators and features within the Mitsubishi Electric Test Facility and Laboratory for internal use. There are some features where Mitsubishi Electric do not have their own facility for testing so are evaluated by a third party. This includes the Antibacterial performance, evaluated under SIAA ISO22196 for KOHKIN.

Has it been replicated by any other researchers?

From our understanding these are internal test results and not a research topic so no."

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