Oxidation is a process in which electrons are transferred from one atom to another. When this occurs in meats, it can lead to a significant deterioration in quality. Interestingly, in some cases, chilled storage and freezing meat more than once may have positive effects on these factors 8 , 9. However, it appears that the type of meat in question, as well as the exact number of freeze-thaw cycles that the meat undergoes, all influence how the meat will respond to being refrozen multiple times.
For example, one study observed how various freeze-thaw combinations affected beef steak cuts. Researchers found that a combination of freezing, thawing, and aging the steaks increased tenderness, compared with fresh steaks that had been aged but not frozen In addition, a literature review of research on the effects of cool and frozen storage on red meat found that freezing meats for a shorter period of time might help prevent some of the negative effects that freezing can have on the quality of red meat 8.
A study of Australian-raised lamb ribs compared how freezing and storing the ribs at various temperatures affected quality markers like juiciness, texture, and shrinkage. Two recent studies have examined the effects of freezing and thawing on pork loin specifically. Each sequence caused increased discoloration of the meat, but researchers found that aging the pork prior to freezing it could be an effective way to maintain the tenderness of the meat A second study suggests that freezing and then thawing pork loin does not significantly affect the tenderness of the meat.
On the other hand, the juiciness of the meat might decrease after freezing and thawing it Splashing water that might contain potentially hazardous bacteria around the kitchen can create more of a hazard if those bacteria are splashed onto ready-to-eat foods or food preparation surfaces.
It is, however, a good idea to wash fruits and vegetables before preparing and serving, especially if they're grown near or in the ground as they may carry some dirt and therefore micro-organisms. This applies particularly to foods that will be prepared and eaten without further cooking. Consuming foods raw that traditionally have been eaten cooked or otherwise processed to kill pathogenic micro-organisms potentially deadly to humans might increase the risk of food poisoning.
Fruit, salad, vegetables and other ready-to-eat foods should be prepared separately, away from raw meat, chicken, seafood and other foods that need cooking. It's not okay to leave perishable food out for an extended time or overnight before putting it in the fridge.
Temperature control is the simplest and most effective way of controlling the growth of bacteria. If food is left in the danger zone, be aware it is potentially unsafe to eat. What matters most is how long the meat has been in the so-called "danger zone" speaking from a temperature perspective.
Foods left in the danger zone for a period longer than four hours are considered adulterated. Additionally, one should be fully aware that the four-hour period is cumulative, meaning that the meter starts running again every time the food enters the danger zone.
Therefore, once the four-hour period has been exceeded, heating, cooling, or any other cooking method cannot recover foods. As the water in the muscle fibers freezes it expands and creates a mushy texture.
The reason that commercially frozen meat has less degradation of texture is due to the speed at which they can freeze things. The quicker that freezing takes place the smaller the ice crystals will be. Home freezers are best at keeping frozen foods frozen but take much longer than commercial freezers to do the actual freezing.
If the food was properly thawed, re-freezing once will probably have a minimal impact on texture but it's going to depend on the item. Ground meats such as ground beef probably won't be noticeable vs. In addition to freezing altering taste and textures by damaging cells and co, there are safety reasons to avoid refreezing.
In France at least, all commercial frozen food have to display the " never refreeze unfrozen products " warning on the package. The official explanation I didn't look for scientific studies is that when you defreeze on the first time, frost-proof bacterias will have few competitors because the initial freezing has killed most of other bacterias, they will have easy-to-digest food because the initial freezing has dismantled cells, and they will have further ideal development conditions because of the slow increase of temperature.
So at first, it's likely to find more bacterias of a single kind in unfrozen food than in never frozen food with the same unfrozen lifetime of course you may have more bacterias in the never frozen food, but of many species, I guess , though not at a dangerous level. Then, unless you have industrial equipment or your dish is packaged in very thin layers, the refrozing is slow, so bacterias have even more time to develop in such good conditions.
So after being fully refrozen the product will have much more bacterias of each surviving frost-proof species than the original, possibly at a non-safe level.
Of course it will be even worse next time, since bacterias follow an exponential growth I guess once they're not in the exponential phase anymore, it's way too late already…. So it seems not only the danger zone issue is hidden one wrongly assumes that once in the freezer, the food is not in the danger zone anymore, but it takes some time to freeze, depending on the size , but there are specific issues because of conditions generated by the freezing. On a side note, it's surprising how safety advices depend on the country I guess.
People on cooking. SE usually strongly advise to follow the US agencies "2 hours in danger zone" recommendation interesting to note that the quote on JYelton's answer mentions 4 hours instead of 2. French European? Disclaimer : I'm no physician or food or health or food safety specialist, just reporting informations gathered on trustable IMO websites. The answer depends on how the meat was thawed. If you read any of the health and safety documentation it tends to stipulate that meat thawed in a refrigerator can be safety refrozen.
It's not dangerous but it significantly impacts the quality of the meat. Most noticeably, it's ability to hold onto moisture. Frozen food should be consumed quickly after it is defrosted. Do this within 1 week after the first defrost and 24 hours after the second. Red meat is the fastest decaying food and it's already been frozen before getting into your freezer.
Learn more about advertising and affiliates on this side on our disclosure page. We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon. Some foods can be safely refrozen after being fully cooked. Toss it if Temperature went above 40F There is a bad odor You have any doubts the food is still safe Other foods have leaked onto it, especially meat or dairy juices.
And keep your freezer well organized to help prevent this. Refreeze food if It still has ice crystals. Use your best judgment here, something big like a turkey could be really warm and thus unsafe while there are still ice crystals in the cavity. Cook any raw meats that thawed but are still cold, under 40F aka fridge temp , but not icy, before refreezing. When Refreezing food: Label clearly so you know to use this item fast.
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