refreeze or not to refreeze... that is my question!

[recycling goddess]

okay so i have a question... do you refreeze a prey item if it isn't eaten? if so, how long can the prey item be sitting before you refreeze it or decide to toss it out?

personally i will never refreeze a prey item... don't feel it's healthy for my critters... but i would love to hear your opinions on the matter.

 

[zwyatt]

I don't refreeze.

If it were an extreme case where I couldn't get any more feeders and was almost out (and my snake just HAD to eat), then I might.
I wouldn't eat meat that was frozen, thawed, refrozen and then thawed again. That may not be the most scientific way to make a decision, but that's just how I feel on this issue.

 

[neotekz]

refrozen food should not be feed, it;s unsanitary. i can;t even feed refrozen food to my fish.

 

[BeckyG]

I will refreeze ONE time, and only if the mouse hasn't been out very long--less than an hour usually. I've never had any problems from it.

I wouldn't eat meat that was frozen, thawed, refrozen and then thawed again. That may not be the most scientific way to make a decision, but that's just how I feel on this issue.

Zach, don't ever eat meat from a grocery store then. By the time it gets to you, most meat has been thawed and refrozen several times.

 

[neotekz]

if u kept the mice clean and refreeze it within a few hours i don;t think there;'s much chance of the food spoiling but i wouldn;t refreeze something left overnite. feeders are cheap enough that i would just rather throw them out rather than risk making my corn sick and ending up with a costly vet bill.

 

[zwyatt]

Zach, don't ever eat meat from a grocery store then. By the time it gets to you, most meat has been thawed and refrozen several times.

Thanks for the heads up, but I'm well aware of what can often times happen in the meat industry. The U.S. has the world's best food inspection, standards, and processing protocols. Meat wouldn't be handled the way it is and then sold, if it were unsafe for human consumption. It's hard to stay in business if you're making all your customers sick.

Anything above and beyond what happens on the way to and at the store is not regulated. I prefer not to add to any potential problems by freezing meat, letting it thaw and then refreezing for later use.

Maybe I'm too cautious. But if my caution saves me a night of living on the toilet (or worse), then it was well worth it in my book.

 

[recycling goddess]

in canada... they must label the food "previously frozen" if it has been thawed. most meat sold here is frozen once... transferred to the store still frozen and then sold frozen.