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Butcher selling defrosted meat?

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  • 11-05-2014 7:33pm
    #1
    fussyonion
    Registered Users Posts: 7,819 ✭✭✭


    I went to my usual butcher's yesterday for some chicken wings. I wanted €5 worth. He went out the back cos he didn't have enough on display, I paid the money and came home.

    It was only when I got home and took the bag out, I noticed a sticker on the bag that said "Chicken Wings, 5th April".

    I was a bit shocked. Wouldn't this suggest they'd been frozen?
    And were now defrosted and being sold on as fresh?

    Not taking any chances, I cooked them last night...didn't want to freeze them incase my hunch was right and I know you can't refreeze meat.

    But it got me thinking; this isn't a normal practice surely?
    You can't freeze raw meat, thaw it out and then sell it on to the customer who most likely will freeze the meat?

    It's got me wondering what else has been frozen before.
    I don't want to let this drop and was planning on asking the butcher next time if this is what he'd done, but I doubt I'll get the truth from him.
    Should I report him?

    I don't know what to do in this situation.


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    #2
    ytpe2r5bxkn0c1
    Closed Accounts Posts: 32,688 ✭✭✭✭ytpe2r5bxkn0c1


    Why do people always assume that they will not be told the truth? Ask him. I know a store that openly tells you not to freeze certain meats as they were already frozen. For that reason I do not shop there. It could also be that he gave you a out of date pack by mistake. Anyway, I would ask.


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    #3
    Chattastrophe!
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,284 ✭✭✭Chattastrophe!


    I wouldn't have used them, I'd have brought them back the next day and let him explain. What's the point in complaining here when you could have just as easily brought them back the next day, seeing as you hadn't been planning on using them on the day anyways? Chances are you'd have gotten an explanation and a refund.


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    #4
    TheDriver
    Registered Users Posts: 12,521 ✭✭✭✭TheDriver


    that's up there with homemade...................just who's industrial home was it actually made in


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    #5
    skelligs
    Closed Accounts Posts: 196 ✭✭skelligs


    There's no issue at all with re-freezing meat that has been thawed in controlled conditions.


    Where an issue arises and why the advice for domestic use applies is when meat is thawed at room temperature for several hours. This will be temperature that bacteria will grow in.

    But taking from a freezer, thawing in a fridge and placing back in a freezer is not a problem at all in any way shape or form. (i am involved in a food business)

    edit - here's a page from a butchers website giving further info http://croghanmeatmarket.com/blog/2-can-you-refreeze-your-meat


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    #6
    drunkmonkey
    Registered Users Posts: 28,215 ✭✭✭✭drunkmonkey


    skelligs wrote: »
    There's no issue at all with re-freezing meat that has been thawed in controlled conditions.


    Where an issue arises and why the advice for domestic use applies is when meat is thawed at room temperature for several hours. This will be temperature that bacteria will grow in.

    But taking from a freezer, thawing in a fridge and placing back in a freezer is not a problem at all in any way shape or form. (i am involved in a food business)

    edit - here's a page from a butchers website giving further info http://croghanmeatmarket.com/blog/2-can-you-refreeze-your-meat

    Thawed food should never be refrozen if it's not cooked, i.e you don't defrost a frozen turkey and then re freeze it. Rule 101 of frozen food.


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    #7
    L1011
    Registered Users Posts: 69,059 ✭✭✭✭L1011


    drunkmonkey wrote: »
    Thawed food should never be refrozen if it's not cooked, i.e you don't defrost a frozen turkey and then re freeze it. Rule 101 of frozen food.

    You didn't actually read the linked article, did you?


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    #8
    skelligs
    Closed Accounts Posts: 196 ✭✭skelligs


    drunkmonkey wrote: »
    Thawed food should never be refrozen if it's not cooked, i.e you don't defrost a frozen turkey and then re freeze it. Rule 101 of frozen food.

    Totally incorrect.

    Food thawed to ROOM TEMPERATURE cannot be refrozen as it it at room temperature that bacteria grows. Food thawed in controlled conditions such as a refridgerator CAN be ReFrozen.

    If not then the HSE guidelines are wrong, the HACCP training guides are wrong, and FSAI information is wrong. and drunkmonkey is correct. :rolleyes:

    I prefer to take my info from reliable sources and training programmes.


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    #9
    dudara
    Registered Users Posts: 33,518 ✭✭✭✭dudara


    @skelligs and other posters we are not qualified to provide Health & Safety advice. Please refrain from doing so. Stick to the Consumer Issue aspect of this thread.

    dudara


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    #10
    rubadub
    Registered Users Posts: 32,382 ✭✭✭✭rubadub


    But it got me thinking; this isn't a normal practice surely?

    I used to often get semi frozen chicken fillets in fenlons in stillorgan, who seem fairly respected. Not sure if they had a sign up claiming they were "fresh", there was a recent thread about the legality of the word "fresh", I think butchers are exempt from some/all of the labelling laws supermarkets must have on prepackaged stuff

    Repeated thawing & freezing can change the texture of meats, especially if done slowly at home, the cells expand & contract, this is one reason why it is common to see manufacturers state not to refreeze products once defrosted. This also fuelled the myth of the magical "defrost bacteria".


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