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Refrigerated hamburger after defrosting
David asked 2 weeks ago
How long is hamburger meat good for in the refrigerator after it was in the freezer and has now been defrosted.
Mark Staff answered 2 weeks ago
Hi, David
First, my sincere apologies for a very delayed response. There was a glitch in the software that should have notified me that a question had been submitted.
If your hamburger meat was frozen and then thawed, and assuming your refrigerator is set at 40F or below, the main limiting factor is the growth of spoilage bacteria (non-hazardous). While they grow, spoilage bacteria produce by-products (spoilage chemicals) that affect the taste and odor of ground beef. Keep in mind, the fewer the number of spoilage bacteria when you purchased the ground beef, the longer it will take before the spoilage bacteria reach a level that affects food quality.
As far as safety, as long as the temperature is 40F or below, most pathogens will not grow, and any would be killed when you cook ground beef to a minimum internal temperature of 155F or greater.
Thanks for your question.
Mark
