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Defrosting frozen food
Food handling
Bacteria stop growing when food is frozen but freezing does not kill the bacteria.
Defrosting food correctly ensures the bacteria do not continue to grow and cause food poisoning.
See Also
Cold Food Storage ChartFoods that can be frozen
Most foods can be frozen, but common frozen foods include:
- raw meat
- chopped vegetables
- cooked meals.
Rules for defrosting frozen food
- defrost food thoroughly before cooking or reheating it
- frozen food should be defrosted either in a microwave, or in the fridge
- if using the fridge, defrost food on the bottom shelf, away from other foods just in case it drips as it is defrosting
- you can keep fully defrosted food in the fridge for a short time until it is ready to be cooked or reheated
- cook or reheat the food immediately if it is defrosted in a microwave
- do not re-freeze defrosted food
- do not defrost food on the bench; the external surface could be at room temperature with bacteria or other microorganisms growing quickly, while the centre is still frozen
- allow plenty of time to defrost food thoroughly
- large cuts of meat or large chickens may take longer to defrost all the way through to the centre.
