Expert: Andrew Rosenberg - 10/8/2001

Question
how can meat (beef,lamb,pork) be transported from say New Zealand to UK, presumably in a frozen state, thawed out to enable the butcher to joint the carcass, then be sold in the local supermarket as fresh meat suitable for freezing in my domestic freezer. freezing guide lines state that food should not be re-frozen to avoid food poisoning etc.

Answer
hello-
The answer lies in the training of professional food service workers. Guidlines are followed in the profession that are not followed by the home cook. procedures such as thawing under refridgeration, extensive sanitation of work surfaces and hygiene are able to be controlled in a professional setting that are procedurally impossible in a home kitchen.
   Trust is inherant in the supplier/customer relationship, and followed-up by regular inspection. I am not aware of any federal organization that trains or inspects home cooks. The guidlines for home cooks that you mention are based on the premise of keeping it simple and limiting liability.

I hope this helps and inspires you to be a better informed home cook.
andrew