Does Freezing Destroy Bacteria?

If only that were true, we wouldn’t have to worry about cooking meat and poultry to a safe internal temperature! Freezing makes bacteria inactive—but it doesn’t kill them. Think of it like those sci-fi movies when people are frozen and wake up in a different century. The bacteria “re-awakens” in warmer temperatures. Hot temperatures will thoroughly destroy them.

For more tips on freezing foods, see our Fill-Up-Your-Freezer Storage Guide.