How does time unfrozen relate from fresh to thawed (from frozen) and to how long after it is cooked you can eat it?
My understanding freezing does not kill enzymes, but puts them into a dormancy.... when the meat reaches a temperature where they become active again, aging process continues. Under the right temps and humidity the aging can go on weeks, even months and still be good (if not great) meat. Heat OTOH can destroy or render them harmless. Blanching some vegetables does, a process done for many reasons when canning if I recall. All canned meat I'm aware of is "cooked" as well, higher and longer temps than with most vegetable/fruit canning. (ok, it's a bit more complicated than that.... always use approved canning procedures WRT what it is you are canning as they can vary from product to product.)
Spoiling OTOH is caused by bacteria, little critters that eat the material and leave behind a nasty "byproduct" some highly poisonous. Rotting. That is what the bad smells are, and various bad toxins all the way up to botulism. Enzymes are not bacteria.
Some bacteria is killed by freezing but not enough to consider it any kind of reliable sterilization option. Again, heat.... hot enough and long enough will kill the bacteria.... but not destroy many of the toxins already produced as with botulism.
Fuzzy is Da Man on this stuff. I just have studied meat aging as well as some canning processes and issues over the last several years. That and stayed at a Holiday Inn once.....
Also after cooking also gets me - I think it kills the original enzymes - but after a few days new stuff takes over and spoils meat. What I mean is if I have meat I know is about to spoil (1-2 days) if I cook it I extend its life by a few days. Do you agree?
After you defreeze something, it is thawed...
So if you dethaw something wouldn't it be frozen...?
As for resetting the clock, no freezing doesn't re set spoilage, or aging. It does (I believe) permanently halt the enzyme tenderizing process, it temporarily stops bacterial reproduction but doesn't remove any toxins produced (if any) and it doesn't significantly reduce bacterial count. It MAY kill or inactivate some parasites, if any are present, depending on the temperature reached and the duration. Freezing as a parasite reduction treatment, in pork, and in sushi-grade seafood, is a food industry treatment process, and should be left to the professionals who have the training and equipment to monitor the process.
