Defrosting food safely

In the fridge

The FSAI says the fridge is the best place to defrost food, because the surface of the food stays at or below 5 °C.

• Cover the food and put it in a tray or container to catch drips.
• Raw meat, poultry and fish go on the bottom shelf, below ready-to-eat food. See preventing cross-contamination.
• Allow time. Small items usually defrost overnight; safefood advises about 24 hours for every 2 kg for large items like a turkey.
• Label it with what it is and the date it came out of the freezer.

In the microwave

A microwave on the defrost setting is fast, but the outside of the food can rise above 5 °C. Only use it when the food will be cooked straight away.

Not on the counter

Don’t defrost at room temperature. The surface warms into the range where bacteria multiply while the middle is still frozen.

After defrosting

• Check it is fully defrosted before cooking, especially poultry and large joints, unless the label says to cook from frozen. Food still frozen in the middle may not cook through.
• The FSAI says it is best to cook it straight away.
• Cook it to a core temperature of 75 °C, or the time and temperature your plan sets. See food safety temperatures.
• Once cooked, it can be cooled and kept in the fridge (the FSAI says 2–3 days) or frozen. See cooling cooked food safely.

Don’t refreeze raw food

The FSAI’s advice is to freeze food only once, because bacteria can multiply while food defrosts. You can defrost raw mince, cook it into a lasagne, and freeze the lasagne.

Put it in your plan

Write how you defrost each type of food into your HACCP plan, and make sure every new member of staff knows it. In Hygivo, staff record the core temperature when the food is cooked, so each defrosted item has a cooking record.

See the FSAI’s temperature control guidance for caterers and safefood’s advice on defrosting. This is general information, not advice for your business. Your food safety management system (HACCP plan) and FSAI guidance are the reference. Hygivo is not affiliated with or endorsed by the FSAI.