Freezer Defrosted

wannalot

Hello all

I'm a lurker here usually, but I really need some advice. I took some frozen veg out of freezer tonight and didn't shut the door properly. The freezer door was left ajar for around 4 hours.

When I discovered my blunder I had a look at the food in it. The freezer has 3 shelves. Top shelve had fish, fish fingers and frozen veg. All of this was still hard. The only slightly soft thing was a pie which I removed and am planning to eat for lunch tomorrow.

The middle shelf had lots of sea bass, sausages, a rack of lamb and pork. One pack of sea bass was a bit soft, so I've taken this out. Can i eat this for lunch? The lamb was soft around the edges too so I have this defrosting for tomorrow's dinner. An ice lolly at the front of the shelf had completely melted but the food at the back was solid.

Bottom shelf had some ready meals which I just put in late this afternoon and some ice cream. The ice cream didn't melt, so I think this should be ok.

I was just wondering if anyone could give some advice on whether you would eat anything from a freezer that had been open for 4 hours? The ice wasn't completely melted, but I'm nervous about food poisoning!

I'm really careless with the freezer. This is the 2nd time I have left it open this year. The first time I threw everything out to be safe but I hat the idea of waste!

mike24w

to be honest, i wouldn't worry one bit. i would refreeze everything and reuse it like normal.

I have often took meat/fish out of the freezer, defrosted it(naturally not microwave) and then had a change of heart and re-frozen it with no illness to any of my family.

I know its not advisable but seeing as your food hasn't fully defrosted then i think it will be ok.

squidge60

I will have your seabass

Like above i would think its fine i have left the door open before for hrs and the drawers have been all frozen up but we have still eaten stuff and been fine.

s_b

you have done exactly as i would
and taken the right precautions

Enterprise_1701C

If it was still as cold as the fridge or colder, then everything you have taken out is perfectly safe to eat. I personally would not re-freeze fish without cooking it, and re-freezing a pie might leave you with solid pastry. I would quite happily re-freeze the meat though, and with the sausages I would probably cook them and freeze them, if only to have an easy meal another time!

The only thing I am really cautious with is fish and poultry, I would not just re-freeze either of those without cooking them first.

If you are in the habit of leaving hte freezer open, it might be a good idea to get a fridge lock from somewhere like Mothercare so you have a way of knowing for sure you have shut it

Al1x

I've woken up to the freezer half defrosted and refrose everything and my family didn't get ill. if you are worried then do as Jane above says and make a fish pie etc and freeze that.

toffeeapple

Al1x wrote: »

I've woken up to the freezer half defrosted and refrose everything and my family didn't get ill. if you are worried then do as Jane above says and make a fish pie etc and freeze that.

I've not shut the freezer door properly either and about 4 hours later found it too. Just shut the door and turned freezer up to max for a couple of hours!

We all lived!!

I know you have to be careful but I know from working in a supermarket when I was younger that boxes of frozen food can be left on cages for about that time too!!:eek:

mkirkby

It's only a real worry if food is totally defrosted and warm. It's the cold that slows the production of bacteria & 4 hours slightly with the door slightly ajar is really nothing.

Health & safety would tell you I'm taking bo****x but then they need to justify their existence...

JAG

The thermostat on the freezer would have made the motor kick in more often to keep the temperature low because the door slightly open would cause the temperature to rise.

So it is not like a power cut because your freezer would have been working hard (and using more electricity) to try and maintain the correct temperature.