Many people eat chicken breast for the purpose of dieting. They freeze individually packaged chicken breasts in the freezer and defrost them in the microwave each time they eat. Defrosting meat in the microwave allows it to thaw quickly with minimal loss of juices. However, it is not recommended to defrost all frozen meats, including frozen chicken breasts, using a microwave.

 

◇There is a risk of uneven melting and bacterial growth.

 

Defrosting frozen meat in the microwave may result in uneven thawing. Especially, the larger the piece of meat, the less evenly it thaws. This is because water absorbs heat faster than ice. Heat is only transferred to the slightly thawed surface of the meat, while the inside remains frozen and does not receive heat. Eating meat that has not been perfectly defrosted in this way can easily lead to stomach upset or diarrhea.

Furthermore, there is a risk of bacterial proliferation due to the heat applied to the meat while microwaving. In fact, according to a research team at Everett University in the United States, turkey meat thawed in the microwave contained more than twice the amount of harmful bacteria compared to meat thawed in the refrigerator. The more bacteria such as E. coli proliferate in the food, the higher the risk of stomach upset after consumption. For similar reasons, it is also not good to thaw meat at room temperature. While microwaving does not heat the meat as much, bacteria are more likely to multiply when thawing in cold water or refrigerating compared to microwave heating.

 

 

◇Effective for refrigeration thawing, preserving hygiene and meat juices

 

According to the food sanitation management guidelines recommended by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), frozen foods should be thawed in the refrigerator at 5°C or below, or fully immersed in running water at 21°C or below. The most recommended method is refrigerator thawing because it is hygienic and preserves the meat's juices well. When meat cells are damaged during freezing, the juices separate from the meat tissue during thawing. The higher the thawing temperature, the greater the loss of juices. In fact, a research team from Kyungpook National University and Seoul National University’s Department of Food and Nutrition observed the extent of juice loss by thawing frozen meat stored at -18°C over three days at different temperatures.

 

As a result, the meat lost the most juice in the order of thawing at room temperature at 25°C, thawing by soaking in cold water, thawing in the microwave, and thawing in the refrigerator at 4°C. At this time, the microwave thawing resulted in less juice loss compared to room temperature thawing because the time required for microwave thawing is much shorter.

 

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It seems that the most common method is thawing by soaking in cold water.

I'm glad. While quickly defrosting in the microwave is good,

Isn't it slightly overripe and not thawed properly??

 

For those who also like meat, prepare it the day before in advance.

It's best to take it out of the freezer.