Hints from Heloise: So, is it or is it not okay to eat refrozen meats?

EATING REFROZEN MEATS

Dear Heloise: I read a letter in your column about eating chicken that was stored unwrapped. At the end of your answer, you said never to refreeze meats, fowl or seafood after they’ve been thawed out. I had a butcher tell me years ago that it was OK to do, and I’ve been doing it since then without a problem. -- Sharon G., in Tucson, Arizona

Sharon, refreezing meat, poultry and seafood may not kill you, but there will be some changes. If you have thawed out the meat in the refrigerator, it’s usually safe enough to consume. But the changes in the product will result in meat that is drier and tougher and has less flavor.

Bacteria will also multiply. Refreezing meat does not kill bacteria; it only makes bacteria become dormant. Once the meat is thawed out again, the b