Pork ribs frozen then defrosted then refroze Are they still good to cook and eat?

Answer 1

The answer to this depends on how they were frozen, defrosted and stored in the interim. The trick to safely freezing meat is to get the job done very fast. The two reasons for this are moving the meat out of the temperature we call "the zone" (about 42F to 130F) in wich infection can occur, and also superfast freezing required to prevent the formulation of large, sharp ice crystals in the cells of the meat. Slow freezing allows these crystals to form and pierce the cellular wall, releasing the contents of the cell. When defrosted, this creates a higher infection rick in that non-intact cells are far easier to infect, and also the fact that this makes your meat a lot less juicy. When the meat was defrosted, the question becomes, how high a temperature did the pork reach? If the pork defrosted but stayed out of the zone, you're pretty safe (over 32F but less than 42F). If the pork hit room temperature, you're at a greater risk. Also factor in risk of contaminants -- if the pork defrosted to room temperature and then came in contact with other media that are high-bacterial growth or content (dropped on the floor, smear with mayonaise, etc.) the risk becomes higher again. Refreezing is the next problem. While commerical rigs can flash-freeze foods, most home refrigerators just aren't cold enough. If you didn't get a flash freeze on it, the meat will be more susceptible to infection, as well as less pleasing to eat. Finally, there's the old but still true kitchen axiom that comes into play: "when in doubt, throw it out".

Answer 2

It is not recommended to refreeze meat once it has been defrosted as this can affect the quality and safety of the meat. It is best to cook and eat the ribs after they have been defrosted once.