Refrigerated frozen food

ReefQueen · Jun 28, 2016

I need some advice on my fish food. 2 nights ago I accidentally left the freezer door cracked overnight. I found it the next morning and closed it, but everything was not frozen anymore. It was still a little colder then the fridge, but definitely not frozen. Letting the freezer melt and then freeze again must have messed something up so the freezer is not working 100% still and things are only half frozen. The hubby seems to know the issue and is going to fix it today while he is off. Annnnyway the point being I had JUST stocked up on frozen food so I could make my mix for the fish right before this happened. Do I need to throw it all out? I smelled some of it and it smells fishy, we don't eat seafood unless it's at a restaurant so I can't tell if it is an ok or bad fishy smell lol. Do you think because it stayed cold that it is fine or does it definitely need pitched?

Saltine · Jun 28, 2016

I don't know what's best to do in this situation, but I had a similiar experience and once I read up on it it sounds like the proteins in the food will deteriorate. The food was very liquidy once defrosted, the mysis just disintegrated, but I would just use your best judgement. I don't think it would harm your fish, but just may not be as healthy as it once was.

Salt

reeferfoxx · Jun 28, 2016

If it stayed refrigerated(so to speak), I would say it's safe. It's when it's been in room temperature for an hour or so, I would pitch it.

ReefQueen · Jun 28, 2016

That's what I was wondering mostly I guess lol. I figure they eat rotting meat in the wild, so that part cant be thay bad, but I have no idea about how things break down nutritionally. I would just hate to throw out all that food if it's not necessary. There are 6 or 7 different foods in there, not including the food I keep in there for the nem.

reeferfoxx · Jun 28, 2016

ReefQueen said:
That's what I was wondering mostly I guess lol. I figure they eat rotting meat in the wild, so that part cant be thay bad, but I have no idea about how things break down nutritionally. I would just hate to throw out all that food if it's not necessary. There are 6 or 7 different foods in there, not including the food I keep in there for the nem.

Assuming most of the food is in it's bubble packet 'thing', I'm sure it didn't get exposed to air either.

Here is a link with information from the USDA giving facts about meat that was thawed and refrozen. If it's safe for human consumption, should be safe for fish too. http://food.unl.edu/it-safe-refreeze-raw-meat-and-poultry-has-thawed

ngvu1 · Jun 28, 2016

I have done worse ;-). The only thing I would feel bad is wasting energy over night ;-(

ReefQueen · Jun 28, 2016

reeferfoxx said:
Assuming most of the food is in it's bubble packet 'thing', I'm sure it didn't get exposed to air either.

Here is a link with information from the USDA giving facts about meat that was thawed and refrozen. If it's safe for human consumption, should be safe for fish too. http://food.unl.edu/it-safe-refreeze-raw-meat-and-poultry-has-thawed

Thays perfect, thank you! Sounds like it should be fine then. I always rinse it before I mix it so if the water had separated I don't think it will matter much.

Lionfish Lair · Jun 28, 2016

Try to use it up as fast as you can. That's not as nutritionally sound as it once was.

ReefQueen · Jun 28, 2016

Lionfish Lair said:
Try to use it up as fast as you can. That's not as nutritionally sound as it once was.

Maybe I will give some of it to a friend. I don't have enough fish to use it within a reasonable time frame lol. I just don't want it to go to waste!

ngvu1 · Jun 28, 2016

Some of my frozen food has expiration date in 2013... ;-) REALLY!

ReefQueen said:
Maybe I will give some of it to a friend. I don't have enough fish to use it within a reasonable time frame lol. I just don't want it to go to waste!

Rattooth · Jun 28, 2016

Safe if less than 24 hours

Lionfish Lair · Jun 28, 2016

It's not a matter of being safe. It's a matter of losing nutritional value.

ReefQueen · Jun 28, 2016

ngvu1 said:
Some of my frozen food has expiration date in 2013... ;-) REALLY!

Haha that makes me feel much better!

Lionfish Lair · Jun 28, 2016

There's a little girl who has lived 13 years on Ramen Noodles alone. She has a eating disorder. It keeps her alive, but would you then live by her example and apply it to your own children? Just saying...

ngvu1 · Jun 28, 2016

Reef buddies leaving hobby gave me a lot of foods. I think I have a life time of pellets. I have A bunch of frozen foods and I use like 2-3 cubes a week most.....

ReefQueen said:
Haha that makes me feel much better!

briancarterkc · Jun 28, 2016

The food was originally flash frozen, which prevents most of the cellular disruption that occurs with slow freezing. If it thawed and then slowly refroze, a lot of the proteins would have been broken down. Still edible, but not going to have an much value from the amino acids and proteins in the food. It will also taste bad (imagine freezer-burned steak).

Lionfish Lair · Jun 28, 2016

I'm not saying it's going to hurt your fish. When I went to my Grandma's during the summer without my folks, I lived on Astro Pops, Froot Loops and Tang. I made it back alive and fine and perhaps even fatter, but I think we can all agree it wasn't ideal.

ReefQueen · Jun 28, 2016

Lionfish Lair said:
There's a little girl who has lived 13 years on Ramen Noodles alone. She has a eating disorder. It keeps her alive, but would you then live by her example and apply it to your own children? Just saying...

That sounds like the worse thing ever, Ramen noodles are gross lol. Poor girl! I could go 13 years eating soy sauce yakisoba though. Those things are delicious! I do feed pellets in addition to the frozen, and I have some flake, but very very rarely use it, so I do have other options.

ReefQueen · Jun 28, 2016

You know what, I am at work now, I am just going to grab new food. I'll throw the other food out to the jerk raccoons. That way my fish can get all their nutrients, I don't have to worry, and the raccoons can stay out of my garbage for a night lol.

Sabellafella · Jun 28, 2016

ReefQueen said:
I need some advice on my fish food. 2 nights ago I accidentally left the freezer door cracked overnight. I found it the next morning and closed it, but everything was not frozen anymore. It was still a little colder then the fridge, but definitely not frozen. Letting the freezer melt and then freeze again must have messed something up so the freezer is not working 100% still and things are only half frozen. The hubby seems to know the issue and is going to fix it today while he is off. Annnnyway the point being I had JUST stocked up on frozen food so I could make my mix for the fish right before this happened. Do I need to throw it all out? I smelled some of it and it smells fishy, we don't eat seafood unless it's at a restaurant so I can't tell if it is an ok or bad fishy smell lol. Do you think because it stayed cold that it is fine or does it definitely need pitched?

What kind of frozen food is it?