Freezing Food – Does Freezing Destroy Bacteria and Parasites?

[Melissa Burnell]

Recent thread sparked interest about freezing foods/ thawing and

safety. Thought I would share some additional info on the subject:

Question: Freezing Food – Does Freezing Destroy Bacteria and Parasites?

Answer: Freezing to 0 ‘F inactivates any microbes – bacteria, yeasts

and molds – present in food. Once thawed, however, these microbes can

again become active, multiplying under the right conditions to levels

that can lead to foodborne illness. Since they will then grow at about

the same rate as microorganisms on fresh food, you must handle thawed

items as you would any perishable food.

Trichina and other parasites can be destroyed by sub-zero freezing

temperatures. However, it is not recommended to rely on home freezing

to destroy trichina. Thorough cooking will destroy all parasites.

Question: Freezing Food – Is Refreezing Food Safe?

Answer: 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 defrosting. 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.

If you purchase previously frozen meat, poultry or fish at a retail

store, you can refreeze if it has been handled properly.

Source: https://www.fsis.usda.gov/

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