Can I refreeze thawed items?

Refreezing thawed food is safe if the food has been handled properly and kept at a safe temperature (below 8°C according to the UK’s Food Standards Agency) before refreezing. However, there may be a slight loss in flavour due to moisture lost during the thawing process, especially in delicate items like seafood or ready-to-eat foods.

Although you see to thaw and to defrost used almost interchangeably, there is a difference. To defrost means simply to release from the frozen state, while to thaw as a transitive verb means to cause to become free from the effects of cold (hardness, stiffness, numbness) through exposure to warmth. A frozen product soft to the touch does not necessarily mean it’s been fully defrosted.