Is it safe and can you refreeze meat after defrosting?

A situation is possible when meat that has already been thawed and prepared for a future dish is not useful and it has to be sent to the freezer again.

But is it possible to act like this? How safe is this, and will this affect the taste and beneficial properties of the product?

We will discuss in the article whether it is possible to refreeze meat after defrosting.

In what cases is re-freezing possible?

Meat products can be re-frozen safely if they were initially thawed in the refrigerator. But this is not the only harmless way to return it to the freezer.

Re-freezing is possible if meat:

1. It lay on the refrigerator shelf while it thawed in compliance with the temperature regime.
2. Previously it was frozen for 3-4 days.
3. Was thawed in the refrigerator for more than 2 hours.
4. Kept at a temperature of +32°C and above for no more than 1 hour.

Is it possible to freeze chicken a second time?

Pathogenic microorganisms that arise on poultry, such as salmonella, can cause serious illness.

First of all, you should consider whether the bird was defrosted correctly in the first place. There are three safe ways:

1. In the refrigerator compartment. Thawing using this method can last about 1-2 days, but nevertheless it is the most harmless. The temperature should not rise above +4.5°C
2. In chilled water. You need to immerse the chicken packed in an airtight shell into it. Water must be replaced every half hour.
3. In a microwave oven. The bird thaws when the “defrost” mode is turned on. It needs to be positioned in the microwave so that the carcass thaws evenly.

It is worth noting that defrosting using cold water and a microwave oven does not stop the development of harmful microbes. When using these methods, it is recommended to cook the chicken before putting it back into the freezer.

The expiration date, which determines the safety of products, allows keep raw chicken on the refrigerator shelf for up to 2 days, and cooked chicken for about 3-4 days. During this period, both types of poultry can be re-frozen.

But sending a raw carcass to the chamber a second time for this purpose will only result in the one that was defrosted in the refrigerator. He will tell you how to quickly defrost chicken fillet this article.

This video will show you how to defrost chicken in the microwave:

Why is it not recommended?

Having understood the essence of the processes occurring in meat products during freezing, you can understand that sending them to the freezer again does not promise positive consequences:

• the thawed liquid will re-freeze, turning into ice crystals;
• protein molecules remaining after the first freeze will be completely destroyed;
• the fibers will undergo a destructive transformation.

During research, experts found that already during the first freezing, the protein content in meat is reduced by half from the original. And the second freeze reduces its amount to zero. That is, a re-frozen product becomes a collection of useless fibers.

The second freeze also has a negative impact on the culinary properties of protein foods. Color and structure are lost. The meat becomes looser, and when cooked, it becomes tough and sometimes completely lacks taste.

In addition, processes of development of a pathogenic environment occur on the surfaces of all animal products. During the period of the first freezing, the microbes are in anabiosis, and when thawing, at room temperature, they awaken again and their number increases at double the speed.

This video will tell you why you can’t refreeze defrosted meat:

How to use the product correctly?

Thus, it is not difficult to conclude whether it is worth re-freezing meat. It is better to avoid such manipulations.

If this does not work, the twice-frozen product should be prepared as soon as possible. And at the same time perform a longer heat treatment.

Conclusion

Properly thawed meat can be safely refrozen if it thawed in the refrigerator and spent no more than 1-2 days there. And also not stored at room temperature for more than an hour.

These conditions may affect the quality of the product and its energy value, but in general it is safe.