Can you refreeze ground turkey

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. If previously cooked foods are thawed in the refrigerator, you may refreeze the unused portion. Freeze leftovers within days. If you purchase previously frozen meat, poultry or fish at a retail store, you can refreeze if it has been handled properly, according to USDA.

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.

Skip to main content. Provide Feedback. The U. If you purchase previously frozen meat, poultry or fish at a retail store, you can refreeze if it has been handled properly. Related Information Title. URL Name. Related Articles May I refreeze the food in the freezer if it thawed or partially thawed?

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Temperature control is the simplest and most effective way of controlling the growth of bacteria. If food is left in the danger zone, be aware it is potentially unsafe to eat.

Hot leftovers, and any other leftovers for that matter, should go into the fridge once they have stopped steaming to reduce condensation, within about 30 minutes. Large portions of hot food will cool faster if broken down into smaller amounts in shallow containers.

This is definitely not always true. Spoilage bacteria, yeasts and moulds are the usual culprits for making food smell off or go slimy and these may not make you sick, although it is always advisable not to consume spoiled food. Pathogenic bacteria can grow in food and not cause any obvious changes to the food, so the best option is to inhibit pathogen growth by refrigerating foods.

Adding oil to foods will not necessarily kill bugs lurking in your food. The opposite is true for many products in oil if anaerobic micro-organisms, such as Clostridium botulinum botulism , are present in the food. A lack of oxygen provides perfect conditions for their growth. Outbreaks of botulism arising from consumption of vegetables in oil — including garlic, olives, mushrooms, beans and hot peppers — have mostly been attributed to the products not being properly prepared.