Safe Food Storage is a Great Way to Reduce Food Waste and Save Money

It is surprisingly easy to help prevent food-borne illnesses caused by harmful bacteria, and save money at the same time, all it takes to begin is to know about safe food storage. Storing foods correctly will help to preserve the quality of food, particularly the texture, nutritional value and flavor, one just needs to know how to store foods and how long they can be safely stored. The storage time is greatly affected by the quality of the product at the time of purchase, as well as how it is stored. The first thing to remember is to avoid buying foods in quantities that cannot be eaten within a reasonable period of time, and making sure you rotate your stored foods, this will help to make sure the older items are used first. It is also important to pick up the perishable items last when you are at the store and put them in the refrigerator or freezer as soon after you get home as possible.

Use the following general guidelines for safe food storage:

In the Refrigerator

Always keep the temperature at 40 degrees F or below, try using a thermometer in different parts of the refrigerator to monitor the temperature.

Foods like poultry, fish, meats, eggs, milk and other dairy products should be stored in the coldest sections of the refrigerator.

Always store foods in airtight wraps or containers, this helps to prevent foods from drying out, as well as preventing odors or flavors from transferring from one food to another.

Wrap raw meats, fish and poultry thoroughly, making sure that no juices can drip from them (this can contaminate other foods). Avoid using bags that are not made for storage.

Leave enough space in the refrigerator to allow air to circulate freely, this will allow foods to be adequately cooled

Remember that refrigeration does not prevent the growth of harmful bacteria, it only slows them down.

In the Freezer

Always maintain a temperature of 0 degrees F or below, quality of food will deteriorate at higher temperatures.

Freeze items in moisture proof wraps or containers, freezer burn will occur if the packaging is torn or has holes in it.

Always thaw foods in the refrigerator; this will help to control bacteria growth.

Food can be refrozen if it is partially thawed, however this may lower the quality, but combination dishes like casseroles, soups and stews should not be refrozen.

It is very helpful if frozen foods are labeled properly, include the type of food, the weight and the date to easily find identify them.

In the Pantry

Keep the pantry dark, cool and dry, try to keep the temperature between 50 and 70 degrees F.

Many pantry items have a long shelf life, but only buy what you can realistically expect to use within the recommended storage times.

Store foods in glass, plastic or metal containers, this will help to keep them from deteriorating in the pantry.

Clean the pantry periodically to remove food particles.

Food should be stored in the coolest cabinets, as far away as possible from the dishwasher, water heater or stove.

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