Is it safe to thaw then refreeze meat?

Answer by  assenav (68)

If the meat is thawed in a chiller or refrigerator, it's okay to refreeze. But if you put it on a room temperature for more than 2 hours, you need to cook it before refreezing. Freezing food as fast as possible minimizes the dryness of the meat that affects its quality.

Answer by  Roland27 (16334)

It's safe but I suggest you don't do this too much. If it's been thawed and re frozen too many times it can become bad and spoil. The texture of the meat also can deteriorate.

Answer by  gordon (304)

It is best practice not to refreeze meats that have thawed out. The time spent at higher temperatures can encourage bacterial growth and causes deterioration in he quality of the protein. It is safe to freeze again after it's been cooked.

Answer by  timerunning (805)

Meat and poultry defrosted in the refrigerator may be refrozen before or after cooking. If thawed by other methods, cook before refreezing. 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.