The notion that you cannot refreeze thawed foods is wrong, according to the US Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and inspection Service. Dietitians there say any raw or cooked food that has been thawed can be refrozen as long as it was thawed the right way and has not spoiled. —That means defrosting meat, poultry, fish and seafood in the refrigerator, not on the counter, at room temperature. The experts also say you should never thaw food by running it under warm tap water, because bacteria multiply rapidly at room temperature.