# The frost in freezers... is it edible? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 18, 2004, 4:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-frost-in-freezers-is-it-edible/234984 "2004-03-18T04:43:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![sennan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c5a1d2/32.png) [@sennan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sennan)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2004, 4:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-frost-in-freezers-is-it-edible/234984/1 "2004-03-18T04:43:37Z")
I remember when I was a kid I used to try and scrape the frost out of the freezer to put into drinks but my mother would always intervene and stop me, saying it was quite toxic. so what is the is the deal with freezer frost? 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2004, 4:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-frost-in-freezers-is-it-edible/234984/2 "2004-03-18T04:50:43Z")
It’s just water ice. That said, it might not be very tasty, since ice absorbs food odors quite readily. But toxic? No. ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2004, 5:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-frost-in-freezers-is-it-edible/234984/3 "2004-03-18T05:04:02Z")
> [@Q.E.D.](#): > > But toxic? No. Well, if you don’t watch where you’re scrapping, the stuff could contain frozen juices from uncooked chicken, ham, or beef, any of which could make you ill. ---
**Author:** ![Beastal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a183cd/32.png) [@Beastal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beastal)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2004, 5:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-frost-in-freezers-is-it-edible/234984/4 "2004-03-18T05:08:16Z")
> [@Squink](#): > > Well, if you don’t watch where you’re scrapping, the stuff could contain frozen juices from uncooked chicken, ham, or beef, any of which could make you ill. It could? It’s frozen, there’s not going to be any live bacteria in it. ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2004, 5:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-frost-in-freezers-is-it-edible/234984/5 "2004-03-18T05:10:14Z")
> [@Beastal](#): > > It could? It’s frozen, there’s not going to be any live bacteria in it. There could be. Freezing doesn’t necessarily kill the bacteria, it merely slows it down or causes it to become dormant. ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2004, 8:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-frost-in-freezers-is-it-edible/234984/6 "2004-03-18T08:09:36Z")
Bacteria are tough little bastards. Here are a couple examples: > [@](#): > > **Salmonella** refers to an infection that usually affects the gastrointestinal (digestive) tract and is caused by the bacteria Salmonella enteritidis. Infection occurs after eating contaminated foods such as meat, poultry, raw milk or eggs, or contaminated water. It is more common over age 70 or under age 20. Some pets can carry the bacteria. **Salmonella survives freezing** , but it is destroyed by thorough cooking. [here](http://www.e-mds.com/healthinfo_view/i_00000007C9/) > [@](#): > > **Listeria** monocytogenes is a difficult pathogen to control. “It is very heat resistant, it grows even when refrigerated, and it **survives freezing** ,” he says. > Listeria monocytogenes is a common bacterium found in many foods, including meat, poultry, seafood and vegetables. [here](http://www.purdue.edu/UNS/html4ever/000714.Bhunia.listeria.html) Freeze-drying (freezing, and then removing all the water by sublimation) isn’t even enough to kill many types of bacteria. ---
**Author:** ![scm1001](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c4cdca/32.png) [@scm1001](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scm1001)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2004, 11:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-frost-in-freezers-is-it-edible/234984/7 "2004-03-18T11:06:10Z")
having said that, I am sure that “dont eat the freezer frost” belongs with all other momisms such as “watching too much TV makes you short sighted” and “brussels sprouts are good for you”- grain of truth but mainly aimed at controlling your life! ---
**Author:** ![netscape\_6](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/8c91f0/32.png) [@netscape\_6](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/netscape_6)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2004, 12:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-frost-in-freezers-is-it-edible/234984/8 "2004-03-18T12:09:05Z")
I ate it all the time till I got frost free freezer. I did’nt get sick. ---
**Author:** ![snorlax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@snorlax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snorlax)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2004, 12:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-frost-in-freezers-is-it-edible/234984/9 "2004-03-18T12:33:17Z")
In desperation I used it in some mixed drinks once, when we had run out of ice cubes. It had picked up the flavours of the stuff that was in the freezer. (shudder) I won’t do it again. ---
**Author:** ![jimdigritz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/91b2a8/32.png) [@jimdigritz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jimdigritz)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2004, 1:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-frost-in-freezers-is-it-edible/234984/10 "2004-03-18T13:06:50Z")
Slightly OT, but a good friend of mine refurbishes/services commercial refrigerators in cafes and restaurants. He seriously advises everyone NOT to order drinks with ice. The stories he has of how badly contaminated the ice often is, and the irregularity of servicing is truly chilling (bad pun!). As some learned Dopers pointed out, ice is an excellent medium for bacteria and the fact that the ice is often frozen and unfrozen just exacerbates the risk. As a cite a brief google brings this up: [link](http://www.findarticles.com/cf_dls/m3190/36_36/91567632/p1/article.jhtml) ---
**Author:** ![brix11](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/c37758/32.png) [@brix11](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brix11)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2004, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-frost-in-freezers-is-it-edible/234984/11 "2004-03-18T14:14:31Z")
When I was growing up, our small-town grocery store had a whole aisle of the open, reach-in type freezers. I used to scrape my fingers through the accumulated ice and eat it. I don’t recall my mom ever saying it was toxic, but she did yell at me for doing it nonetheless. Looking back and thinking of all the customers that reached in and out of those freezers, I can’t say I blame her.