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USDA Meat & Poultry Hotline

1-888-MPHotline

(888-674-6854)

The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is the public health

agency in the U.S. Department of Agriculture responsible for ensuring

that the nation’s commercial supply of meat, poultry, and egg products

is safe, wholesome, and correctly labeled and packaged.

Food Safety Information

United States Department of Agriculture

Food Safety and Inspection Service

Neither of these situations is considered safe, and

these methods of thawing may lead to foodborne

illness. Raw or cooked meat, poultry or egg products,

as any perishable foods, must be kept at a safe

temperature during “the big thaw.” They are safe

indefinitely while frozen. However, as soon as they

begin to thaw and become warmer than 40 °F,

bacteria that may have been present before freezing

can begin to multiply.

Perishable foods should never be thawed on the

counter, or in hot water and must not be left at room

temperature for more than two hours.

Even though the center of the package may still be

frozen as it thaws on the counter, the outer layer of

the food could be in the “Danger Zone,” between 40

and 140 °F – temperatures where bacteria multiply

rapidly.

When thawing frozen food, it’s best to plan ahead

and thaw in the refrigerator where it will remain at a

safe, constant temperature – at 40 °F or below.

There are three safe ways to thaw food: in the

refrigerator, in cold water, and in the microwave.

Refrigerator Thawing

Planning ahead is the key to this method because of

the lengthy time involved. A large frozen item like a

turkey requires at least a day (24 hours) for every 5

pounds of weight. Even small amounts of frozen food

— such as a pound of ground meat or boneless

chicken breasts — require a full day to thaw. When

thawing foods in the refrigerator, there are variables

to take into account.

• Some areas of the appliance may keep food

colder than other areas.

• Food will take longer to thaw in a refrigerator

set at 35 oF than one set at 40 oF.

“The Big Thaw - Safe Defrosting Methods — for Consumers”

Uh, oh! You’re home and forgot to thaw something for dinner. You grab a package of meat or chicken and use

hot water to thaw it fast. But is this safe? What if you remembered to take food out of the freezer, but forgot

and left the package on the counter all day while you were at work?

After thawing in the refrigerator, items such as

ground meat, stew meat, poultry, seafood, should

remain safe and good quality for an additional day or

two before cooking; red meat cuts (such as beef,

pork or lamb roasts, chops and steaks) 3 to 5 days.

Food thawed in the refrigerator can be refrozen

without cooking, although there may be some loss of

quality.

Cold Water Thawing

This method is faster than refrigerator thawing but

requires more attention. The food must be in a leakproof package or plastic bag. If the bag leaks,

bacteria from the air or surrounding environment

could be introduced into the food. Also, the meat

tissue may absorb water, resulting in a watery

product.

The bag should be submerged in cold tap water,

changing the water every 30 minutes so it continues

to thaw. Small packages of meat, poultry or seafood

– about a pound – may thaw in an hour or less. A 3-

to 4-pound package may take 2 to 3 hours. For

whole turkeys, estimate about 30 minutes per

pound. If thawed completely, the food must be

cooked immediately.

Foods thawed by the cold water method should be

cooked before refreezing.

Microwave Thawing

When thawing food in a microwave, plan to cook it

immediately after thawing because some areas of

the food may become warm and begin to cook during

the thawing process (bringing the food to “Danger

Zone” temperatures). Holding partially cooked food is

not recommended because any bacteria present

wouldn’t have been destroyed and, indeed, the food

may have reached optimal temperatures for bacteria

to grow.
Food Safety Questions?

Ask Karen!

FSIS’ automated response

system can provide food safety

information

24/7 and a

live chat

during

Hotline

hours.

AskKaren.gov

The USDA is an equal opportunity

 provider and employer.

 Revised July 2010

“The Big Thaw” Safe Defrosting Methods

Call the USDA Meat & Poultry Hotline

 If you have a question about

meat, poultry or egg

products, call the USDA

Meat and Poultry Hotline

toll free at

1-888-MPHotline

or 1-888-674-6854,

TTY: 1-800-256-7072.

The hotline is open year-round

Monday through Friday from 10

a.m. to 4 p.m. EST

(English or Spanish).

Listen to timely

 recorded food safety

messages at the

 same number

24 hours a day.

Check out the

FSIS Web site at

www.fsis.usda.gov.

Send e-mail questions to MPHotline.fsis@usda.gov

After thawing in the microwave, always cook

immediately after, whether microwave cooking,

by conventional oven, or grilling.

Foods thawed in the microwave should be

cooked before refreezing.

Also, never thaw foods in a garage, basement,

car, dishwasher or plastic garbage bag; out on

the kitchen counter, outdoors or on the porch.

These methods can leave your foods unsafe to

eat.

Cooking Without Thawing

When there is not enough time to thaw frozen foods, or

you’re simply in a hurry, just remember: it is safe to cook

foods from the frozen state. The cooking will take

approximately 50% longer than the recommended time

for fully thawed or fresh meat and poultry.

See also “Turkey Basics: Safe Thawing” at:

http://www.fsis.usda.gov/fact_sheets/

Turkey_Basics_Safe_Thawing/index.asp

FSIS encourages the reprint and distribution of this publication for food safety

education purposes. However, USDA symbols or logos may not be used

separately to imply endorsement of a commercial product or service.