Food Safety Guidelines for Storing Cut Melon and Defrosted Products

Cut melon should be kept at 5 °C or lower in a sealed container. Leaving the seeds in the untouched half reduces handling, and the remaining piece should be refrigerated promptly to limit exposure to air and microbes.

Defrosted foods are recommended to stay in the refrigerator for no more than three days, with the fridge set between 0 °C and 4 °C. Once ice melts, bacteria can resume rapid growth. French agencies ANSES and DGCCRF advise moving thawed items directly to the fridge and avoiding any time at room temperature.