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Turned fridge freezer off!

Emma79
Emma79 Posts: 114 Forumite
in Old style MoneySaving
Good morning all,
Yesterday I thought I'd defrost my freezer as it was getting difficult to shut the drawers - and in this energy efficient age we live in, I know this is not economical. Once defrosted, I went to the supermarket and bought food for the weekend for the fridge and freezer.

However, this morning, I noticed the milk wasn't as cold as usual.... I then looked at the plug and realised I HAD NOT TURNED THE FRIDGE FREEZER BACK ON! :eek:

It has been off for over 17 hours. I've not opened the freezer in that time, but opened the fridge many times. Is my food safe?

Comments

  • squeaky
    squeaky Posts: 14,129 Forumite
    10,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    That's going to depend on the items concerned and just how much they did or did not defrost while the freezer was off.

    In cases where you are not sure the usual advice is to completely defrost all the foods that you are concerned about, have a massive cook in, and then freeze all your cooked stuff.

    There are some earlier threads on coping with freezer disasters here:-

    I don't believe this, Help my fridge.freezer has just broke

    My freezer door has been left open!!!

    Can u help ? defrosted freezer...
    Hi, I'm a Board Guide on the Old Style and the Consumer Rights boards which means I'm a volunteer to help the boards run smoothly and can move and merge posts there. Board guides are not moderators and don't read every post. If you spot an inappropriate or illegal post then please report it to forumteam@moneysavingexpert.com. It is not part of my role to deal with reportable posts. Any views are mine and are not the official line of MoneySavingExpert.
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  • Emma79
    Emma79 Posts: 114 Forumite
    Thanks squeeky. I am now going to make chicken casserole, beef stew and some ragu. The rest is in the bin :o

    So it is ok to refreeze these meals even though they have been frozen already? Good - I hate to see this meat go to waste.

    Thanks again.
  • Mr_Proctalgia
    Mr_Proctalgia Posts: 967 Forumite
    Generally if stuff is still even slightly frozen it can be refrozen again, but the quality may suffer, however, it is unlikely to poison you. A well filled freezer should be OK for about 24 hours in a powercut situation and provided it isn't opened.

    HTH
    The quicker you fall behind, the longer you have to catch up...
  • tawnyowls
    tawnyowls Posts: 1,784 Forumite
    1,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    Check what they're like - if they're solid, they'll be fine. If they are a bit soft, then veg/chips should be OK to refreeze, nut meat & dairy (especially mince) should be cooked quite soon; even then, it should be all right for a few days provided it didnt get too warm. Just be sensible and check everything before you cook it.

    And as mentioned in the other threads, check your contents insurance.
  • lil_me
    lil_me Posts: 13,186 Forumite
    10,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    You can refreeze it after it's been cooked :)
    One day I might be more organised...........:confused:
    GC: £200
    Slinkies target 2018 - another 70lb off (half way to what the NHS says) so far 25lb
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