This is a question that many people may ask themselves: how long can you keep a thawed product ? In a video published on the social network Instagram, Océane Sorel, virologist, explains that we must keep “as little time as possible”. The author of the book Viruses, Bacteria, Microbes: Everything you need to know to escape them! (é. Marabout) is used to sharing tips for staying healthy with his community of more than 222,000 subscribers. In this video, the one we know on social networks under the pseudonym @thefrenchvirologist, therefore discusses the good reflexes to adopt when dealing with a thawed product.
What happens when you defrost food?
“It is important to remember that freezing does not kill bacteria: it just puts them to sleep”explains Océane Sorel in her publication, before illustrating: “You have to imagine that it’s as if you had paused the time a little and that at the slightest opportunity, when the temperature conditions become ideal for them, they will resume their little bacterial life and multiply” .
Indeed, the specialist emphasizes that freezing allows the proliferation of bacteria at the time of defrosting. “When the food froze, thousands of ice crystals formed inside, which will have damaged the structure of the food a little and when the food defrosts, the bacteria will take advantage of this destructuring to be able to easily access the food they need.”
Also, the specialist recommends consuming the food within three days maximum. When defrosting, be careful, as the food should not be left at room temperature. In fact, this increases the risk offood poisoning.
To defrost food, it is possible to remove the product from the freezer, then:
- put it in the fridge to let it defrost;
- cook it directly.
Source :
- Océane Sorel, virologue @thefrenchvirologist (Instagram)
