There are a variety of ways you can expose yourself to food poisoning. Defrosting meat, poultry or fish improperly is one of the most common ways. Unsure of what the best ways are? According to Canada.ca, defrosting meat, including poultry, fish and seafood, can be done in the refrigerator, the microwave, or by using cold water within a sealed package.
The safest way to defrost any food is in the refrigerator. Place the meat in a clean container or platter that will hold any juices leaking out of the food. Place it on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator to prevent accidental cross-contamination of other food. Cook the meat as soon as it’s defrosted. Defrost poultry 24 hours for each 2.5 kg (5 pounds) of bird. For other meat, usually 24 hours in the refrigerator should be enough to thaw it completely.
A microwave should be used only for defrosting meat that will be cooked right away. Only use containers, lids and wraps that are clearly marked as microwave-safe, otherwise remove the food its packaging. Use a clean container or platter to collect any juices that leak out of the food. This will help prevent the contamination of the microwave. Place the meat in the container and cover with a lid or plastic wrap that doesn’t touch the food. Leave a small gap for steam to escape. Use the defrost setting on the microwave and defrost completely before cooking.
When using water, defrost your food under cold tap water in a sanitized sink. Make sure that the meat is wrapped in leak-proof plastic to help prevent cross-contamination. Run cold water from the tap over the meat until it’s defrosted. You can also submerge your food in a clean container or in the sanitized kitchen sink filled with cold water. Make sure that the meat is wrapped in leak-proof plastic and completely covered by water. Change the water every 30 minutes until the meat is defrosted.
Don’t let your food defrost on the counter. Defrosting food at room temperature allows bacteria to grow, which could increase your chance of getting food poisoning.
Before you defrost your frozen meat, you should check the packaging. Make sure that it’s not torn or open, to avoid juice leakage contaminating the surrounding area.
Once food has been completely defrosted, don’t re-freeze it. You can re-freeze partly refrigerated food only if it still has ice crystals on its surface.
