Disaster - freezer door left open. Is the food still edible?

[suiledonne]

DD2's first birthday this weekend so I have totally blown my budget for the rest of the month but I thought I would be ok as I have the freezer well stocked up. Or so I thought. Just went to see what I have for the week and found the door ajar. It is a fridger/freezer one. Loads of extra ice in there and lots of things seem to be still frozen solid but I don't know how long it was left open.

Please tell me my food, especially the meat will be fine. I have a whole chicken, chicken fillets, beef cubes, mince and assorted frozen veg, fish etc.

Will it be ok use everything?

Happened to me a while ago. Most things still frozen, none of the meat was defrosted, I had no money and couldn't afford to replace any of it.

Shut the freezer. Crossed fingers.

Everything was fine. We have eaten and replaced the meat by now and no illness at all.

I'd make a judgement based on whether things are still relatively frozen.

The meat seems to be frozen solid but have waffles and fish fingers and the boxes are a bit soggy.

I suppose there is no way to know if things defrosted and froze again.

I have a 1 year old and a 3 year old so it is a bit of a risk.

Like you I can't afford to replace it all.

I'd maybe bin the fish fingers if they seem a big soggy. If meat seems frozen then it'll be fine. You won't get food poisoning from eating defrosted and refrozen waffles/veg/etc. Texture might be a bit odd.

Fish fingers and maybe any chicken nuggets would be the only thing I'd bin in this situation, being smallerthey are likely to have defrosted and you might get a tummy upset.

I have a 2yr old. I binned the fishfingers and the frozen fruit (had turned to slush). Kept meat, waffles, veg.

Thanks.

Have binned the fish fingers and cooked most of the waffles for lunch.

I'm just going to have to take the chance on the meat as can't afford to replace it all this week.

Tbh you should be fine, you have no idea how much of this stuff has been frozen/defrosted numerous times before you bought it. You want to get scared about this stuff go work in a food distribution company!