How to Keep Cooked Meals Safe in Hot Summer

In summer months, we need extra efforts to keep home cooked meals safe. Follow these food safety guidelines for best outcome:

Try to prepare fresh meals every day at home and reduce risks of foodborne illnesses.

In warm weather condition, serve food within 2 hours of cooking, when it is still hot and is at around 60°C.

Cooked food lying at room temperature beyond 2 hours on a hot summer day is not safe for consumption.

Dairy-based or mayonnaise-based food items like desserts, salads, dips, etc. spoil fast. Keep them in fridge until it is serving time.

During summer season, use milk and milk products which are available in shelf-stable cartons for recipes.

Include more pickles, jams, and jellies in summer menu. Preservation and packaging methods of these products make them shelf-stable.

Plan your meal with accuracy to minimize leftovers in hot summer.

Use shallow, airtight containers to store cooked food in fridge. It ensures an even cooling effect over stored food.

Follow FIFO (First In First Out) method to manage leftovers Thus, old batch of foods will get through first.

In case, there is a large amount of leftover which you cannot finish in 1-2 days, Pack and put them inside freezer.

Carry cooked food outdoors in a cooler filling its 2/3 parts with ice cubes to retain a safe temperature for a longer duration.

Whenever in doubt about signs of food spoilage like mild odor or a slight change in texture, do not serve it.

Keep refrigerator, countertops, and other kitchen surfaces squeaky clean. Germs multiply on food spills and contaminate cooked food placed on them.