Why is it wrong to refreeze meat?

Question

Everyone says that after meat is thawed, you shouldn't refreeze it. I just want to know why. I refroze some pork chops and some ground hamburger that accidentally got thawed. Will it make me sick to thaw them again and eat them?

Answer 1

Alot of the information that you'll find on this topic online is based on the USDA recommendations that were written with the slant of being the *simplest* set of rules for the public to follow. With that in mind, realize that most things you'll read as well as what most people will tell you are only part of the story.

The facts here are pretty simple:

1) Keeping food at 0 degrees f, or 4 degrees C, will keep any bacteria (and trust me, there is bacteria on your food), in a dormant stage. In this dormant stage the outside bacteria on the food is unable to compromise the interior of the food. It can be stored pretty much indefinitely at this temperature, however after time dehydration will take place and the meat will more or less become unusable. Note: It wont spoil, it'll just be dehydrated and unappealing.

2) The safest way to defrost meat is in the refrigerator. The coldness retards the spread of bacteria on the meat and it can be safely refrozen so long as it has not been stored in the refrigerator longer than 3-4 days. Use common sense here.

3) The second safest way is to defrost food immediately in the microwave. Be careful and watch it, making sure to rotate the meat and flip it over occasionally. If meat is defrosted in this manner, it can also be only *partially* defrosted - in which case the meat is capable of being refrozen. If the meat accidentally gets "cooked" by the microwave, you should finish cooking it and then you may refreeze it.

4) Never defrost meat at room temperature if you can avoid it. Once the meet reaches room temperature it is ripe for the spread of bacteria and the longer the meat is left in this state, the more the bacteria will spread and the more at risk you are of food poisoning.

Now, as to your particular circumstance - the safety of refreezing that meat depends entirely on the manner in which it was defrosted. Was it defrosted in the fridge? Then it's perfectly okay. Was it defrosted by leaving it out on the counter? Then it's at high risk for contamination.

Also, generally speaking, your ultimate risk in cases like these depends almost entirely on how thoroughly you cook the meat. Never under cook something that you feel might have been exposed to room temperature conditions, that's quite possibly the most risky combination of factors that could lead to you getting ill.

Answer 2

If meat stays cold it can be refrozen without danger of it making you sick. The real reason not to refreeze it is the loss of quality. The meat looses a lot of juice and flavor each time it is thawed and re-frozen. That is all. It is safe but it is best to avoid it if you can.

Bert

Answer 3

Meat/poultry that is refrozen might suffer some quality loss as moisture may be lost during thawing.

Safety will depend on whether the raw product was handled properly before it was frozen, refrozen shortly after it was thawed, cooked to a safe temperature when it is eaten and handled safely if there are any leftovers.

Answer 4

any kind of meat should never be thawed out twice because the longer it sits not raped up good enough the more bacteria gets on it and yes that can be a problem. if you were to have the meat the next day put it in a zip lock bag and keep it in the refigdarator over night.

Answer 5

Not if the meat didn't go past spoilage when it thawed. I've done this before and it's fine. Just be smart about it. If it sits out at room temperature for any amount of time, then of course you don't want to refreeze it.

Answer 6

For future reference, next time your meat thaws out, cook it and then return it to the freezer.

Hamburger can be quickly browned and placed in small zip lock bags. The bags hold about 2 cups of hamburger which is about 1 pound. That's enough for a batch of chili, tacos, or spaghetti sauce.

Pork chops? just brown them in the skillet, wrap and return them to the freezer. When you're ready take them out and finish cooking them by baking, broiling or grilling.

Bon Appetite!

Answer 7

The reason is that thawing allows bacteria to grow.
If they did not thaw completely, to room temperature,
you may be able to cook them thoroughly.

Answer 8

it can make you sick