Are They Dead, Jim?

When something that was defrosted is refrozen, you can't use it. Now you HAVE to toss it. If you had not refrozen it, since the stuff was still cool, I'd have put it in the fridge or just cooked them right away and eaten them.

Throw them out.

Have you seen the pics of processed food and how it doesn't change much. There's one floating around that the food is about 2 years old.

I would only worry if the food was fresh, but frozen, microwavable meals could unfortunately last a day or two without many negative side effects except a little bloating.

I don't eat microwave meals, but if it were me, I'd heat them a little extra and give it a go.

Eight hours? "He's dead, Jim!"

I wouldn't eat it...sorry!!

Dawn

DEAD. Why risk it? :)

It's worse than that, they're dead, Jim!

I wouldn't do it.

Toss. The food danger zone for perishable food is between 44 and 144 degrees for 4 hours. I have a digital kitchen thermometer for cases just like this - if it happens again, take the temp of the food. Under 44? Good as refrigerated. Over 44? Toss.

Technically they are dead but I have done a similar thing as MommaBearof2 with my used to be frozen lunches. Usually desperation drives me to eat them. Shrug. I haven't died yet but I do it holding my breath every.single.time. waiting for that one time my decision to eat a thawed TV dinner bites me in the posterior. I suppose the first time I get raging sick I will tell myself I told you so in between bouts of puking.

As long as they were still on the cool side, I think that they are fine. :)

I've done the same as Alexis - as long as they were still cool to the touch, I have eaten them. Have never gotten sick from it, knock on wood.

Eh. They're pre cooked, were cool, I'd probably eat them.

I'd eat them myself. Then again, I have an iron stomach. I can pretty much take anything.

On the other hand, I would NOT feed them to my family.

Toss them is it really worth salmonella?

ETA: Just read your SWH-They're dead, Jim! Mostly warm, even any warm, even with precooked food is major danger zone. We're not just talking about food poisoning, but botulism now enters the conversation. Get them out of the freezer and into the trash!

How long were they out? An hour or less? All night? If they thawed and were no longer frozen, they're garbage. If they were out for an hour or less and are still very cold, you could cook them all and refrigerate as leftovers. You could even try to cook and refreeze in new containers, but just refreezing them is not safe.

I wouldn't risk it. If it had been an hour...I would've stuck in back in the freezer. If it had begun to defrost, unless it was MEANT to defrost, into the garbage it would go. Neither of those things was meant to be defrosted.

Sorry...I know what a bummer it is to waste food. I left the milk out once, and I kicked myself over it for days.

I'd eat them. Don't re-freeze, just refrigerate and use right away. If I had a dollar for everytime I left my microwave meal in my purse and didn't discover it until leaving my office at 5 pm.... I always just ate them for dinner and never have had an issue. (Yah, I know, you'd think at lunch time I'd wonder where my food was. Nope.)

just eat them now!!
ETA i definitely would NOT have refrozen them after all that time. if you didn't eat 'em right away, pitch 'em.
khairete
S.

I think they are fine. They were not "warm" but cool when you got home.

Whenever there is a food question I ask myself this: "Would I pay the same amount I lost on this food to not throw up or get deathly ill?" The answer is always yes. "When in doubt, throw it out."