Food Safety Storage
Food Safety & Storage has been in the headlines a lot. Contaminated juices, contaminated vegetables and bad meat are all issues. Food poisoning happens more often than people realize. The Center for Disease Control (CDC) estimates that 76 million cases of food borne illness occurs in the U.S. every year.
There are some basic steps you can take to ensure that your food is safe and that your food safety storage plan works to protect you and your family.
The Basics of Food Safety Storage
Always wash your hands before handling food. A mild hand soap is sufficient as long as you wash your hands with warm water and use a good hand rubbing motion that causes some friction on your hands. The CDC has an excellent video on hand washing.
Wash containers in hot water with a detergent and be sure to rinse them well. Air drying works better than hand towel drying. An automatic dishwasher does sanitize as well as cleans.
Be sure to store and prepare food according to food safety guidelines.
Don't leave cooked foods out for more than 2 hours before refrigerating.
Thaw frozen foods by using the defrost feature on the microwave or placing them in the refrigerator to thaw. for smaller cuts of meat plan on putting in the refrigerator the day before. larger cuts of meat such as a large roast or turkey can take up to 3-4 days to thaw.
Bacteria love an ideal temperature range of about 70 to 140 degrees Fahrenheit so the less time your food spends in that temperature range the fewer bacteria you have to deal with.
Use sturdy containers with airtight lids or seals to avoid spillage and contamination in your refrigerator, freezer or other food storage locations.
Cook meats according to food safety guidelines .Poultry and pork should be cooked well done at all times. Fish, Beef and some cuts of lamb may be cooked medium rare but it is suggested that you cook all meats medium to well done to avoid the potential for food borne illness.
When re-packaging foods be sure you clean the area you will handling food in. use clean utensils and food grade wraps and storage containers.
Avoid cross contamination by handling only one food type at a time. When you re-package chicken clean the area and the utensils thoroughly before handling vegetables or beef.
Always keep your refrigerator and freezer at the correct temperatures. your refrigerator should be at 34 to 40 degrees Fahrenheit and your freezer should be at 32 degrees Fahrenheit or colder.