Previously frozen seafood - safe to freeze?

[babymama]

5 days ago, I bought crabcakes at the store and put them in the freezer when I got home. I just noticed that the label says "previously frozen". I know that it;s not safe to refreeze anything that;s been thawed - so can I assume that it's not safe to eat these crabcakes?

Lydia
Mama to Santiago, my 2 yr old monster
and new baby girl, Solana, born 12/26/05
I'll figure out how to update my avatar someday!

[buddyleebaby]

I think "officially" you're right, but I have done it plenty of times, honestly.

[bostonsmama]

Well, according to that rule, I should be a pretty sickly person. While I'm pretty good at not putting meat I've defrosted from my own freezer back into the freezer, on the occassion I have refrozen items from my fishmonger's case. I guess it just depends on how finicky you are about that kind of thing (germophobe or whatnot). I cook ALL of my food (save for steak) well beyond the safe temperatures recommended by the FDA/CDC.

I take comfort in the fact that on a weekly basis I eat sour milk (buttermilk/sourcream), curdled milk (cottage cheese), moldy dairy (blue cheese), and rotting beef that's aged so that the rotting exterior is cut off as it gets older (filet mignon).

But that's just me. ;)

Larissa

We're doing it! IVF orientation & consult scheduled for May 2nd!
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[o_mom]

Actually, this came up a while back, but I can't find the post. If meat has been thawed in the fridge, then you can re-freeze it. If they were cold when you bought them and you put them in the freezer right when you got home you should be OK.

ETA: Here is what I found before. It doesn't address fish in particular, but you are probably OK, especially if they were already cooked when you bought them.

From the USDA website:

"Meat and poultry defrosted in the
refrigerator may be refrozen before or after
cooking. If thawed by other methods, cook
before refreezing."


Source: http://www.fsis.usda.gov/OA/pubs/facts_basics.pdf