My son did not close the freezer properly so it was open a crack for about a day and a half. Some of the food seems to be partially thawed. Is it still safe to leave the food in the freezer to be refrozen or should it all be disposed of?

Hi, it may unfortunately be to late to do so now, but for future reference, you basically need to check immediately the temperature of the food that you believe to be thawing. To do this remove the frozen food from the freezer and check their temperature close to the surface of each item. If it is warmer than the temperature of a refrigerator (>4°C) the products should be discarded. If foods have thawed but are still colder than 4°C store them at the bottom of a refrigerator and use within 24 hours.

Don't forget, depending on the defrosting and heating process recommended by the frozen food manufacturer you can defrost, cook and eat this food as you would have normally. You can also refreeze the product once cooked providing it wasn't cooked or heated before the initial freezing.

Some frozen foods may survive better than others. Frozen meals and frozen ready meals that are bought in supermarkets are packaged so as to lock in the nutrients and lock out the air. Frozen meal packaging is air tight and this reduces the risk of freezer burn. Frozen meals also have the air pocket flushed out and this vacuum also helps the food to survive temperature fluctuations. 

I hope you don't loose to much food from this, check your household insurance policy or any freezer warranty you have, you may be covered? Click here for more info on what to do if your freezer fails. If you need to restock your freezer click here to see how to safely store, cook and defrost your frozen foods.

Thank you for your frozen food question. Click here to see where your frozen food comes from.

The New Ice Age Team