Experts told whether it is true that products cannot be re-frozen

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Germans are very careful about the freshness of products. They firmly believe that once a frozen product cannot be frozen again after thawing. And all because harmful bacteria can appear in it. But this is not entirely true – under certain circumstances, it is possible to freeze products again without any fear.

Is it possible to freeze products again?

As for raw fish, meat, poultry, these it is really undesirable to freeze products twice. But there are products that do not lose their properties even after re-freezing. This is, in particular, bread, vegetables, fruits. You can safely refreeze them, even if they have already thawed.

But what if you've defrosted too much meat or chicken? Will the surplus have to be thrown away? Daniela Krehl of the Bavarian Consumer Center says it “always depends on how fresh the food is”. If the meat has already been in the heat for a little while, then bacteria have probably appeared in it, since moisture and heat are an ideal environment for them. And then you definitely can't freeze it again.

Many mistakenly believe that bacteria and germs die in the freezer. This is not so, says Krel: at low temperatures, the process of development of harmful microorganisms only slows down.

First cook, then freeze

The way out of the situation is simple. According to the expert, you need to prepare the thawed meat, for example, boil it or make minced meat and fry it. And then freeze again. In this form, the product will not be threatened by any microbes.

And it is best to always defrost as much as you actually consume. Especially since with each freezing and thawing, the products lose moisture, and this deteriorates their nutritional properties.

What does the label on the package mean

Only “perfect” products can be frozen a second time, but in ideally, there should be a cooking stage between the two freezes.

Krel also pointed out that the package of frozen products often has the inscription: “Do not refreeze.” She explained that this is an increased precaution so that thawed foods are consumed immediately. Because at positive temperatures, the probability of the reproduction of microbes increases.