Re Freezing

[campari]

Can anyone please explain why shouldn't food be refrozen.
Thanks x
P.s Happy Christmas and New Year

[Ethel]

It loses quality and texture and can harbour harmful bacteria that will make you ill.

http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/mfreezerbu rn.html

[whiffey]

Here is a scenario:

I cook a huge bolognaise sauce and freeze it in portions. I know it's free from bugs because I ladled it into freezer containers while it was piping hot, and sealed them. I take one out and microwave it to piping hot from frozen, in its sealed container. Still no bugs in it, surely. I then decide I don't want it after all, so I re-freeze it.

I could apply the same logic to an Indian takeaway. If it is bug-free when I buy it (hopefully!), then any amount of manipulation should be safe if I don't allow an opportunity for it to become infected.

I don't actually do this, but isn't food safety a matter of common sense ?

[whiffey]

Obviously the same arguments do not apply to frozen RAW food.

[campari]

Thanks to you both. I was referring to raw food actually and the link Ethel gave explained it really well.

[Zeddy]

whiffey, some bacteria will always survive the cooking process. They are generally harmless to you but if allowed to flourish at between 10 and 50oC will multiply rapidly and some will produce toxins that will cause you food poisoning.
Certain bacteria can survive temps of over 100oC for several hours. Killing them all is well nigh impossible.