What is Defrost?

Defrost is a thawing process of raw food such as meat, chicken, fish and so on.  The process is an important control point process during food preparation.  It is one of the cause of food poisoning, if it is not handled probably.

Frozen foods, especially high risk food (meat, chicken, fishes etc) should be thawed thoroughly before we cook.  When food is not thawed thoroughly, the thick high risk food would not be cooked as the heat does not transfer through the inner part o the food. When it the part is not cooked, the bacteria which stayed in the food will survive and causing food poisoning against the consumer.  

Thus, there are 3 ways of safety thawing :

1️⃣   chilling

- Put the frozen raw food into a chiller
- Make sure the raw food is put in a container and is put in the level that is at the lowest level of a chiller.    This is to avoid the melt of ice or blood from contaminating other food in the chiller.
- To keep the food for 24 hours to 3 days (if the premise have good temperature control.

2️⃣  Running water

- Put the raw food into a container
- Flowing water in room temperature against raw food.
- Make sure water running
- Make sure the packaging material of raw food is not teared off to avoid contamination and the decrease
  of food quality.
- Duration : max 2 jam

3️⃣  Heating in microwave

- Put the raw food into the microwave and press defrost

Credit: Food Safety & Quality division, Kuala Lumpur & Putrajaya Federal Territory Health Department.