Safe Food Storage Guidelines

How to Store Foods to Prevent Food Borne Illness

Aug 22, 2009 Cheryl Heppard

Proper food storage is important in order to prevent spoilage and possible illness from eating foods which have spoiled.

Knowledge of proper food storage techniques is imperative for safety reasons, and can also save time, money and flavor. Fresh foods always have more flavor than foods which are past their prime. You can't see, smell, or taste harmful bacteria that may cause illness. Strategies for food safety begins at the grocery store and should be followed until the foods are either eaten or disposed of in order to prevent foodborne illness.

While shopping at a grocery store, put the food items which require refrigeration into the cart last to prevent bacteria growth from beginning while shopping. Use insulated bags to transport these types of foods from the store to home. Upon arrival home, put the perishable foods away right away and before the non-perishable foods. The refrigerator should be set at 40 degree Fahrenheit, while the freezer should be stable at zero degrees Fahrenheit. Meats, poultry and fish should be securely wrapped to prevent leakage and contamination of other foods, and stored in a meat drawer or the coldest section of the refrigerator.

• Cooked meats, casseroles and fish: Don't reuse leftover fish. Cooked meats and casseroles will stay fresh for three or four days in the refrigerator, if covered tightly with plastic wrap or in a dish which has a glass lid.
• Bread: Keep bread wrapped in its original plastic bag, where it will remain fresh one to two weeks in the refrigerator, or two to four days if stored in a cupboard. Bread is safe to consume until mold develops.
• Luncheon meats: Store tightly covered in plastic wrap in the refrigerator and use within five days. Lunch meat can be frozen for up to two months.
• Vegetables: Store potatoes, tomatoes, and onions at room temperature. Other vegetables should be kept in the refrigerator loosely wrapped in the crisper section of the refrigerator.
• Dairy products: Store these on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator. Discard milk within five days after the sell-by date or if it smells sour. Toss yogurt and sour cream when they develop mold.
• Fruit: Keep fruit loosely wrapped in the crisper section of the refrigerator. Delicate fruits may last for a few days, while hardier fruits can last for weeks.
• Eggs: If unbroken and within their shells, eggs will remain fresh up to five weeks after the sell-by date. Eggs are safe to eat until they smell rotten.
• Poultry: Store in its plastic wrapping and store in the refrigerator for two to four days, or freeze up to nine months.
• Raw Seafood: Store in its original wrapping in the refrigerator. Use within two days or freeze.

The copyright of the article Safe Food Storage Guidelines in Nutrition is owned by Cheryl Heppard. Permission to republish Safe Food Storage Guidelines in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

Fresh foods offer the best flavor