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Safe Freezing Practices Guide

This document provides guidance on safely freezing foods: - Food should be frozen as soon as possible after delivery or preparation to prevent bacterial growth. Smaller portions freeze more quickly than large portions. - Note the freezing and defrosting dates on frozen foods. Foods frozen before their use-by date can be used later, but must be cooked thoroughly after defrosting. - If a freezer malfunctions, move frozen foods to another freezer. Partially thawed foods should be defrosted safely or cooked thoroughly. Fully thawed foods should be used immediately or discarded if unsafe to freeze again.

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96 views2 pages

Safe Freezing Practices Guide

This document provides guidance on safely freezing foods: - Food should be frozen as soon as possible after delivery or preparation to prevent bacterial growth. Smaller portions freeze more quickly than large portions. - Note the freezing and defrosting dates on frozen foods. Foods frozen before their use-by date can be used later, but must be cooked thoroughly after defrosting. - If a freezer malfunctions, move frozen foods to another freezer. Partially thawed foods should be defrosted safely or cooked thoroughly. Fully thawed foods should be used immediately or discarded if unsafe to freeze again.

Uploaded by

Sarfraz EPIC Consulting
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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SAFE METHOD:

FREEZING
It is important to take care when freezing food and handle frozen
food safely.

SAFETY POINT WHY? HOW DO YOU DO THIS?


Put frozen food in the freezer If frozen food starts to defrost, harmful Is frozen food put in the freezer
as soon as it is delivered. bacteria could grow. as soon as it is delivered?
Yes No

If you are freezing fresh food, The longer you wait Is fresh and cooked food put in
freeze it as soon as it has before freezing the freezer as soon as it has been
been delivered or prepared. food, the greater the delivered, prepared, or chilled
Freeze hot food as soon chance of harmful down?
as it has been properly bacteria growing. Yes No
chilled down. (See the ‘Chilling
down hot food’
method.)

Divide food into smaller Smaller portions will Is food divided into smaller portions
portions and put it in freeze (and defrost) to help it freeze better?
containers or freezer more quickly. Yes No
bags before freezing. The centre of larger Is frozen food stored in containers
portions takes or freezer bags?
longer to freeze,
allowing harmful Yes No
bacteria to grow.
Using containers
and freezer bags
prevents cross-
contamination.

HOW DO YOU DO THIS?


If you answered ‘No’ to any of the above questions, write down what you do:

Food Standards Agency l food.gov.uk/sfbb


THINK TWICE!
When you freeze food, make a note (e.g. on a sticker) of the date it is frozen and the date when it is removed for defrosting,
including the day, month and year.
If you freeze food that has a ‘use by’ date, (for using later) make sure you freeze it before the use by date is past, and it is
important that you clearly note the date you are freezing it.
Once food has been defrosted you should use it immediately (within one day). See the ‘Prove it’ in the Management section.

WHAT TO DO IF THINGS GO WRONG HOW TO STOP THIS HAPPENING AGAIN


If you find that your freezer is not working properly,
you should do the following things:
• Food that is still frozen (i.e. hard and icy) should be • Get your freezer mended or buy a new one.
moved to an alternative freezer straight away. If there • Have freezers serviced regularly and check that they are
is no alternative freezer, defrost food using the working properly as part of your opening checks.
‘Defrosting’ safe method.
• Re-organise freezers so there is more space and they are
• Food that has begun to defrost (i.e. starting to get soft kept closed as much as possible.
and/or with liquid coming out of it) should be moved to a
suitable place to continue defrosting using the ‘Defrosting’ • Train staff again on this safe method.
safe method. • Increase staff supervision.
• Fully defrosted food (i.e. soft and warm) should be cooked,
if appropriate (e.g. raw meat and poultry), until it is piping
hot all the way through. After cooking, use the food
immediately or chill or freeze it safely straight away.
If this is not possible, throw it away.
• Food that has to be kept frozen (e.g. ice cream) cannot be
re-frozen once it has started to defrost. You will have to use
it immediately or throw it away.
Remember, some foods need extra care. See the ‘Foods that
need extra care’ safe method in the Cooking section.

Write down what went wrong and what you did about it in your diary.

Food Standards Agency l food.gov.uk/sfbb

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