Many health issues have arisen recently regarding the improper care of food items. Foods are shipped into the country from various other countries as well as across the nation, and the safety is sometimes questionable. You trust that what you purchase from the store is of high quality, and free of contaminants. Great strides have been made by the Food and Drug Administration to protect the food from things that can cause illnesses like salmonella, and ecoli until it reaches the table.
Once food is brought home, it is important that proper refrigeration takes place immediately especially for meats. These foods should be kept frozen, and only thawed when ready to prepare. Most homes have adequate refrigeration units, whether it is a side-by-side refrigerator, or one with a bottom freezer, the safest option is to put meat in the unit quickly. There are many instances where people who live in a limited space may have a mini fridge. This is not appropriate for meat safety. It does not always get as cold as a regular refrigerator, and oftentimes, food is left there for prolonged periods of time. It is wise to have some food safety tips in place to assure that the food in the refrigerator stays safe, such as:
1. Check the temperature
Set the temperature of the refrigerator at 40 degrees, and the freezer at 0 degrees. Check the temperature after a power outage to ensure proper setting.
2. Is everything airtight?
Make sure that all food storage containers used in the refrigerator are air tight. Throw away any that may be cracked, or do not seal as they should.
3. Section space wisely
The storage spaces should be used appropriately. The crisper is for produce that does not need to stay as cold as the cheese compartment. Each section is designed for certain foods, and should be used accordingly. The crisper has a humidifier for keeping produce fresh.
4. Expiry dates
Sometimes, you can not depend on order to help judge whether food is stale or not. Many stale foods do not give off an odor. The staleness is not detected until after it is prepared, or reheated. It is important to check expiration dates on certain foods, and not rely on the amount of time that it was refrigerated. A mini fridge does not provide the same cooling options as a bottom freezer, or a side-by-side refrigerator.
5. Open doors
Make sure that the refrigerator door is not kept open for too long. Keep watch, especially if there are small children in the home. They may tend to stand in front of the refrigerator and take long times looking until they see something that they want. This takes the temperature down which is not good, or safe, for some items.
6. Be careful with meats
A good point to remember is that poultry can last for one or two days in the refrigerator, and from 9 to 12 months in the freezer. Beef, veal, and pork can last three to five day in the refrigerator, and up to 12 months in the freezer.
