Crowd Cow takes pride in our products arriving to your doorstep frozen. Our eco-friendly insulation and the use of dry ice keeps most orders frozen through transit. However, unexpected transit delays or temperature increases in your region may cause partial or full thaw of your products.
The good news is that if the meat was still partially frozen or very cold to the touch like you’ve just taken it out of the fridge (roughly 40 degrees Fahrenheit), it is safe to eat per the USDA.
The USDA offers great resources on meat safety and what is acceptable conditions for human consumption. You can read USDA Mail-Food Safety guide for more information. These guidelines will instruct you on how to handle the order if defrosting or thawing has occurred. It recommends using a meat thermometer as well as some other tips.
Can I refreeze the partially frozen or thawed, but cold, items? Yes! Items that arrive partially frozen are safe to refreeze it without cooking, although there may be a loss of quality due to the moisture lost through thawing. For thawed, but cold items, you can refreeze, however, if you do have any plans to use anything in the next few days, keeping it thawed in the fridge is a better option.
If you determine that the meat is above the recommended temperature to safely consume, please contact our Crowd Cow Customer Support team either by email moo@crowdcow.com or send us a text message to (206) 539-0639. Our team is available to assist you Monday through Friday 6am to 7pm PST.