In honor of National Nutrition Month, we will highlight food safety to help ensure that you keep your food safe and healthy for you and your loved ones.
Storage of Food
Storing food in a proper manner can be challenging since there are many factors to consider. In order to appropriately store food, it is important to consider how the food has been processed, the amount of water content, and the outside temperature.
Here are some things to keep in mind to determine how the food should be stored and how long it can last:
- Make sure to refrigerate perishable food within 2 hours (1 hour when the temperature is above 90 degrees).
- Check the temperature of your refrigerator and freezer regularly with an appliance thermometer. Refrigerators should be at 40°F or below and the freezer should be at 0°F or below.
- Cook or freeze fresh poultry/meat within 2 days. For other beef/veal/lamb/pork, cook or freeze within 2 to 5 days.
- Meat and poultry should be wrapped securely to maintain quality and to prevent juices from dripping on other foods and potentially contaminating them with bacteria.
- In order to maintain the quality of freezing meat, wrap the package again with foil or plastic wrap.
- Canned goods should be kept in good condition and stored in a cool, clean, and dry place. If you see cans that are dented, leaking, bulging or rusted, discard the cans. The cans normally have expiration dates, but these tips are good to keep in mind:
- High acid canned foods (tomatoes, grapefruit, pineapples) can be stored on the shelf for 12-28 months.
- Low acid canned foods (meat, poultry, fish, vegetables) keep for 2-5 years.
