After thawing in the microwave, always cook immediately after, whether microwave cooking, by conventional oven, or grilling. Foods thawed in the microwave should be cooked before refreezing.
Thawing in the microwave
Some parts of the food may enter the "Danger Zone" (40-140°F) during the thawing process due to uneven heating. Foods thawed in the microwave must be cooked immediately after thawing.
Food must be cooked immediately after thawing if thawed in the microwave or in cold water in the sink. DO NOT thaw a food and then refrigerate to cook later.
When thawing leftovers in a microwave, continue to heat it until it reaches 165° F as measured with a food thermometer. Foods thawed in the microwave can be refrozen after heating it to this safe temperature.
It is not safe to thaw food in the microwave and then put it in the refrigerator or a cooler to cook or grill later. Always cook microwave defrosted food immediately. Be sure to use a food thermometer to make sure food reaches the proper internal temperature during cooking to prevent food borne illness.
When microwave-thawing meat and poultry, plan to fully cook it immediately because some areas of the food may become warm and begin to cook. Holding partially cooked food is not recommended because any bacteria present would not have been destroyed and may have reached optimal temperatures for bacteria to grow.
Refreezing. 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.
➢ As part of a cooking process, food that is frozen may be thawed in a microwave oven if immediately transferred to conventional cooking equipment, with no interruption in the process.
Thaw meat and other foods in the bottom of the fridge whenever possible. If you need to thaw food immediately, this is best done in the microwave or, as a last resort, under cool running water (with the food wrapped or packaged). It is advised that you do not leave frozen food to thaw on a bench at room temperature.
When you defrost food in the microwave it can get warm enough to allow harmful bacteria to grow. Cooking the food immediately will kill any bacteria, but if you leave it the bacteria will continue to multiply. Be sure to check the microwave setting and time in your microwave manual.
Defrosting Food
You should defrost your food in the fridge so that it doesn't get too warm, see our Danger Zone info below for why this is important. It's also important to use food within 24 hours after it's been fully defrosted – it will go bad in the same way as if it were fresh.
If you don't consume reheated food immediately, avoid handling it and return it to the fridge within two hours. Err on the side of caution if reheating food for vulnerable people including children, elderly, pregnant or immunocompromised people. If in doubt, throw it out.
Frozen Foods and Frozen Dinners: Do not refreeze frozen foods that have thawed; either cook them for consumption, discard or refreeze after cooking thoroughly. Vegetables: Do not refreeze thawed vegetables. Bacteria in these foods multiply rapidly. Spoilage may begin before odors develop.
After thawing in the microwave, always cook immediately after, whether microwave cooking, by conventional oven, or grilling. Foods thawed in the microwave should be cooked before refreezing.
The food should reach at least 165 °F on a food thermometer when safely reheated. In oven: Place food in oven set no lower than 325 °F. Use a food thermometer to check the internal temperature of the food reaches 165°F. In microwave: Stir, cover, and rotate fully cooked food for even heating.
Food should be left out at room temperature for the shortest time possible. Ideally, defrost these foods in the fridge. Foods will defrost quite quickly at room temperature, but harmful bacteria could grow in food if it gets too warm while defrosting.
Foods thawed by the cold water method or in the microwave should be cooked immediately after thawing. Never thaw foods in a garage, basement, car, dishwasher or plastic garbage bag; out on the kitchen counter, in hot water, outdoors, or on the porch. These methods can leave your foods unsafe to eat.
If food is completely thawed, warmed to room temperature or left out of the refrigerator for more than 2 hours, throw the food out for safety's sake. These principles apply to meat, poultry, shellfish, some vegetables and cooked foods. Many vegetables are safe to refreeze.
You must report diarrhea, vomiting, jaundice, or a sore throat with a fever to your manager since these symptoms could indicate that you have a foodborne illness. You must also let your manager know if you have an infected wound.
The food must be cooked immediately after thawing in the microwave. Submerge the food under cool running water. The water must not get hotter than 70°F (21°C). Keep food in sealed packaging.
What must food handlers do to food immediately after thawing it in the microwave oven? Cook it. What can occur if prep tables are not cleaned and sanitized between uses? A food handler thaws several frozen turkeys on a prep table.
Never operate the unit when it is empty or use it for storage. Do not operate an oven if the door does not close firmly or is bent, or if the seal, hinges, or latch are worn or broken. Never tamper with the safety interlock switches or the fuse. microwave automatically turns it off when the door is opened.
Refreezing is perfectly safe, according to the U.S.D.A., so long as the food was thawed in the refrigerator — the most foolproof method to keep pathogens at bay, Dr. Schaffner said.
Once defrosted, food will spoil in the same way as if it were fresh, so handle defrosted foods in the same way as you would raw. Defrosted food can be stored in the fridge for up to 24 hours before it needs to be cooked or thrown away.
No. Defrosted food should not be refrozen unless first cooked to over 75 °C and should not be refrozen more than once following this cooking step. However, many manufacturers will put a statement on their foods along the lines of 'This product has been previously frozen but is suitable for home freezing.