Lowering food to a frozen state to halt bacterial growth and preserve it for extended storage.
No. Freezing stops bacteria multiplying and makes them dormant, but it does not reliably kill them. They can become active again once the food thaws.
Raw food that has thawed should not be refrozen. If thawed food is cooked, the cooked product can then be frozen, but quality may suffer.
Thaw in the fridge or another controlled method so food spends as little time as possible in the danger zone of 5 degrees C to 60 degrees C, rather than on the bench.
No. Cool cooked food correctly first, then freeze it. Putting hot food straight into a freezer can raise the temperature of other frozen items.
Labelling lets you rotate stock and use older items first, and tells you how long food has been in frozen storage so quality and safety can be managed.