Refrigeration and Home Food Safety - What You Need to Know
Awareness of refrigeration and home food safety is important for 3 reasons:
a. Preserves nutrition and flavor of home food. b. Lowers risk of food-borne illnesses. c. No wastage of food due to spoilage.
- Inside freezer (-18)°C.
- Inside main chamber of fridge 5°C.
Safe storage temperature for home food:
Leave home-cooked food at room temperature for 60-90 min. to cool down and then shift it to fridge.
Piping hot food raises internal temperature of fridge. This warm condition can spoil all frozen foods.
Even in winters, leftovers must go into fridge within 2 hours of cooking. Divide bulk food into small, shallow containers with tight lids and refrigerate.
Raw meat, poultry, fish, etc. carry microbes that can contaminate nearby foods. So, place ready meals away from all raw foods.
Store these animal food products as it is in original sealed packs at (-18)°C. After removing seal, freeze them in leakproof packets.
Raw veggies grow in soil and are carriers of bacteria too. Stuff them inside covered crisper drawer.
Dairy foods (milk, curd, butter) need airtight storage containers as these items often absorb odors from other foods.
Once you open canned food, say cooking sauce, transfer its unused portion in another container, cap it tightly and put it back for refrigeration.
If you overload fridge/ freezer, it blocks space for air circulation and promote bacterial growth. Declutter shelves as soon as possible.
Be careful how long fridge/cooler door remains open. Frequent or prolong exposure to outside air badly affects lifespan of frozen items.
Spills on fridge shelves become breeding ground for germs. Wipe it off without delay to retain safe hygiene standards of food storing surfaces.