How many times can meat be frozen and thawed?
Generally, meat thawed in the refrigerator is safe to refreeze without cooking if it still contains ice crystals. After cooking raw foods which were previously frozen, it is safe to freeze the cooked foods. And if previously cooked foods are thawed in the refrigerator, you may refreeze the unused portion. If you purchase previously frozen meat, poultry or fish at a retail store, you can refreeze if it has been handled properly. Source: http://www.fsis.usda.gov/OA/FAQ/hotlinefaq.htm#2
There really is not a recommendation as to how many times meat can be frozen and thawed, so long as it has been handled properly, but I would say the fewer the better. Defrosting may cause a loss of quality due to the moisture lost during the thawing process. So, the more times you freeze and thaw a meat, the more likely the quality of the meat will be less. Safe thawing techniques are a must. If a meat has not been thawed properly, the risk for food-borne illness is great. Visit http://www.fsis.usda.gov/OA/pubs/bigthaw.htm for safe thawing techniques.
Packing foods in smaller portions and thawing only the amounts needed is a good practice. For example, if I buy 5 pounds of hamburger meat, I could divide it up into 1 pound portions to freeze. When I get ready to cook with the hamburger, I can take out a 1 pound portion and thaw it using safe thawing techniques.
For more information visit:
Refreezing Food
from North Dakota State University Extension Service