Today we are going to touch on something that may be a bit controversial: refreezing raw food. Most of us grew up hearing that you should NEVER refreeze frozen foods. But have you ever wondered why? It feels like one of those things your grandma told you as a kid & you just accepted it for truth, without question. Well, today we are going to look into it & figure out once and for all if refreezing is acceptable or not.
What the Experts Say about Refreezing:
Let’s start by checking to see what the experts have to say. According to the USDA, “Once the food is thawed in the refrigerator, it is safe to refreeze it without cooking…” The main concern, as seen by the USDA, is that through the freezing & thawing process, some moisture is lost from the food. This could change the quality of the texture, not an issue for most of our carnivores! If you thaw & refreeze our product the “lost” moisture is still in the container & feedable! So, none of the water-soluble nutrients in the moisture is lost, as long as you still offer the liquid to your pet with the rest of the food.
Why Refreeze?
Why is thawing & freezing helpful? Being able to refreeze raw products is almost essential for those of use with smaller pets or those doing a DIY raw diet. Having the ability to buy a 5 LB container of Young Beef, thaw it, then portion it into daily portions for a small pet is super helpful! Or if you wanted to add some Beef Kidney, Lamb Liver, Pork Heart or something of that nature to your pet’s diet it can be hard to use the whole bag before it spoils once thawed. But if you thaw, portion & refreeze it makes things way easier & helps to reduce food waste!
An Example from Wellingtin:
This is actually the way that my human feeds me! She will buy a large variety of different foods for me (because I’m a king & demand variety!). She will 
then have a meal prep day & portion this food into the amount of food I need per day & refreeze it. Then she will pull it out the night before I am to eat it & let it thaw in the fridge overnight. The next day, my meal is ready! It’s a great strategy for single pet & small pet homes!
Shipping Frozen Food:
At My Pet Carnivore, we do our best to make sure that our products arrive frozen, but we know delays happen. So, it is helpful to note that it is okay for a product to arrive thawed when it is shipped. As long as it is still refrigerator-cold (around 40 degrees F) it is safe to refreeze or feed it.
Summary:
We have heard all our lives that refreezing frozen foods is not a good thing to do. But actually, the only thing that happens is a loss of moisture which can change the texture a bit. However, this is not an issue for our carnivore friends as long as we still offer the meat juices to our pets! Being able to refreeze foods is incredibly helpful for raw feeding!
Resources:
https://www.fsis.usda.gov/food-safety/safe-food-handling-and-preparation/food-safety-basics/freezing-and-food-safety
Hey there. My name is Rilla Banks. I have a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel named Wellingtin, who I have been raw feeding since about 2015. I am constantly on the lookout for natural ways to improve his life. I love to research all things dogs & I am happy to share my finding with you!
