On frozen food going bad

Are there any items that we keep in the freezer that go bad?

The reason we freeze food in the first case is somewhat creepy. Freezing food does not (necessarily) kill any bacteria in it, but it will put that bacteria into suspended animation.The appearance and texture of frozen food might deteriorate but it won't turn poisonous because there’s no bacteria growth. So as long as frozen food stays frozen, it’s safe to eat.

Here’s where you should worry: Have you ever opened an ice cream bar to find it frozen into the distorted shape of its own plastic packaging? In the industry, we call this a sign of temperature abuse. At some point the ice cream melted and then refroze. 

See visible signs of temperature abuse. Jack is a dangerous food.

You do not want to eat anything that was accidentally thawed and later refrozen. A temperature level capable of melting ice cream is also capable of supporting bacteria growth. Was there any bacteria in the food in the first place? You have no idea. If so, did it grow to unsafe levels during that time? Again, you have no idea, so best to not eat temperature abused foods.

“But wait,” you might ask. “Once the ice cream re-freezes, doesn’t that undo the bacteria growth?” No. Read the first paragraph again. The freezing process doesn’t kill bacteria growth that has already occurred. Bad ice cream will lay your ass out. Bacteria can be picky about what sorts of foods they live in, but they all love ice cream and they will make you scream.

Or consider that bag of peas you’ve been using as an occasional ice pack for the last two years. How many times have you thawed that bag over your knee and then hurled it back into the freezer? I can’t imagine a more systematic program of targeted vegetable abuse. If you use frozen vegetables to reduce swelling then consider labeling the bag “DON’T EAT” or drawing a skull and crossbones on it.

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