Can frozen raw meat be defrosted and frozen again [duplicate]
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A frozen joint of turkey was partly defrosted cut into 2 and the other half was re-frozen
Surely this is not safe
Best Answer
It's perfectly safe if the turkey wasn't kept in the danger zone for longer than the maximum recommended time.
If it was kept appropriately cold for the minimal amount of time possible, there's nothing "unsafe" about refreezing anything.
What you do lose with refreezing is quality. Freezing is a damaging process for many products, meat included. The reason you're warned to not defrost and refreeze is generally for quality reasons, not for food safety reasons.
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Can you refreeze meat that was frozen and then thawed?
The U. S. Dept. of Agriculture (USDA) advises: Once food is thawed in the refrigerator, it is safe to refreeze it without cooking, although there may be a loss of quality due to the moisture lost through thawing. After cooking raw foods which were previously frozen, it is safe to freeze the cooked foods.Can you freeze raw meat twice?
Meat is often frozen to preserve and keep the product safe when it's not going to be eaten right away. As long as the meat has been stored properly and thawed slowly in the refrigerator, it can be refrozen safely multiple times. If done correctly, refreezing meat does not pose any health risks.Why you should not freeze meat twice?
When you freeze, thaw, and refreeze an item, the second thaw will break down even more cells, leaching out moisture and changing the integrity of the product. The other enemy is bacteria. Frozen and thawed food will develop harmful bacteria faster than fresh.Can You Refreeze Thawed Meat?
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