I accidentally left meat in the trunk of my car, it's so cold outside it froze, can I still use it?
1 Answer
If the ambient temperature outside (and thus in the car) was below 40 F / 4 C the entire time the meat was left out, then yes, it is still safe just as if it had been in the refrigerator (or freezer as the case may be). If that is not true, discard.
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the temperature has been so cold that the meat froze rock solid, I would hate to have to discard it but at the same time I don't want my family to get sick– AnaJan 27, 2014 at 23:26
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4If it really froze rock solid, you can probably infer it was under 40 F.– SAJ14SAJJan 27, 2014 at 23:35
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1@Ana Also make sure to inspect for any sign of animals getting in. The trunk of a car is not small animal proof. Hopefully it was sealed in plastic, which you can check for damage.– derobertJan 28, 2014 at 9:15