First Steps to Food Safety
What you should know about food safety before it hits your plate.
It's a great day. The entire family is out on a picnic at the park, enjoying
great conversation, a friendly game of badminton, and some of Uncle James'
world-famous potato salad. On the ride home, your cell phone rings and you
find out your sister is feeling sick. Two minutes later, another call. Your
cousin feels the same way. By the time you get home, you sprint to the
bathroom and realize that you, too, fell victim to food poisoning.
While the need for food safety on the grill and on the way to your mouth is
often discussed, you may not realize how much danger your food may be in
before it ever leaves your house. What can you do to keep your food safe,
sound, and ready to be gobbled down safely at the next family outing?
Do This: Refrigerate
Any time you bring a food item into your home that requires refrigeration or
freezing, it should be put in the proper place immediately. If you get in a
crunch and have cold foods that can't get in cold storage immediately, never
allow it to stay out longer than two hours at room temperature. In the event
you're in an environment that is much warmer than typical room temperature,
get the food refrigerated much faster or prepare to toss the food in the
garbage.
Do This: Enjoy
Instead of letting lunchmeats, hot dogs, and other ready-to-eat foods sit in
the fridge for weeks and months, eat them today. Allowing them to stay in the
refrigerator puts your cold meats at increased risk for carrying dangerous
bacteria. So sidestep this unwanted food issue by chowing down as soon as
possible.
Do This: Research
In order to get the right foods in the right place, you have to know where
they go. If you're unsure where a certain food item should be placed, look at
the label. Every food that requires refrigeration or freezing will be labeled
appropriately, so figuring out what goes in the fridge, freezer, or pantry is
usually no problem. Once you know what belongs in the cold, put it there.
Do This: Trash
Have something in the refrigerator that doesn't quite look right? Smells a
little funny? Don't run the risk of food poisoning and other food-related
illnesses by eating it to spite your eyes and nose. Instead, take the
potentially hazardous food and throw it in the trash. Even if it doesn't make
you sick, old food that may have a little mold on it tastes awful.
Do This: Reset
To ensure your foods are kept at the right temperature, it's important to have
your refrigerator and freezer set at the right temperature. The ideal
temperature for a refrigerator is 40 degrees Fahrenheit or lower and the
freezer should stay at 0 degrees Fahrenheit. It's a good idea to check the
temperature in both every once in a while and adjust the temperature as
needed.
Beyond the Fridge
As you probably know, food safety hazards aren't limited to foods that require
refrigerating or freezing. The canned goods sitting in your pantry can also be
home to some rather nasty little bacteria that can cause you to be on sick
leave for quite a while.
Fortunately, avoiding contamination in non-refrigerated foods is relatively
easy. Here's what to do.
- Avoid storing foods under your kitchen sink. You may not see any leaks
under there, but if there is a small leak, your potatoes, onions, apples,
and other foods can grow gross in no time.
- Store food away from dangerous chemicals. Just because rat poison and
toilet cleaning liquids have lids on them doesn't mean they won't affect
food nearby. To avoid any potential contamination, keep your household
cleaning supplies and other potential hazards away from all foods at all
times.
- Keep an eye out for damaged canned goods. If you see any kind of damage
- whether the can has a visible hole or is dented severely, be food smart
and toss it in the garbage.
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