Food should only be frozen if they are within the 'use by' date. Can I freeze foods which have passed their “use by” date?
How long can food be stored in the freezer?Īs a general rule and to maintain the quality, food should not be stored in a freezer for longer then 6 months (provided that your freezer is suitable for storing foods for this length of time. **** Runs at –18☌ and is suitable for long term storage (3 to 6 months) *** Runs at –18☌ and should only store food for up to 3 months ** Runs at –12☌ and should only store food for up to one month * Runs at –6☌ and should only store food for up to one week All freezers should have a star rating so consult your manufacturer’s handbook: What is the correct temperature for my freezer?įreezers should always be kept at -18☌ or less. This will prevent any drip from the raw meats from contaminating the cooked/ready-to-eat foods. To avoid any possibility of cross-contamination of cooked foods with raw foods in your fridge, it is important to always store raw meat, fish and poultry on the bottom shelf of your fridge, with cooked foods stored above them. Raw meats are a potential source of food poisoning bacteria and must be kept separate from cooked or ready-to-eat food at all times. Where should raw meats be stored in my fridge? Check your manufacturer’s handbook for further advice on cleaning. It is recommended that you use a mild cleaning agent such as bicarbonate of soda or hot, soapy water to clean your fridge, as strong smelling products can taint foods stored in the fridge. What is the recommendation for washing out my fridge? Remember to store fresh meat on the bottom shelf of your fridge to avoid contaminating other foods. Yes, provided that it is food grade plastic and it is stored sealed in the fridge to prevent air contacting the meat. Can fresh meat be stored in the plastic packaging in which it is wrapped in the butchers? Likewise if the fridge door was left open by mistake for a long period of time, it is possible that the temperature of the room will affect the temperature within your fridge raising it above 5☌ and again, foods should be discarded. Remember, the temperature should be between 0-5☌. If the temperature was above 5☌ for a substantial time (use fridge thermometer), then you should discard the foods within. If there has been a power cut and the door of your fridge remained closed during this time, it is possible that the foods within are still safe to eat. What happens if there is a power cut or my fridge door is left open by mistake? Remove the contents of the food tin, place them in a suitable container and cover before placing in the fridge. Can I store open food tins in the fridge? To speed up the cooling process large quantities of food, such as stews and roast joints of meat, should be portioned into smaller lots.ĭo not overload the fridge with warm food as this will raise the overall temperature of the fridge which increases the possibility of bacteria growing in the food. Food should not be left out of the fridge to cool down completely. After cooking, once the steam has evaporated from the food, it should be covered and stored in the fridge. How long can cooked food be kept at room temperature before refrigerating?įollowing cooking, food which will not be consumed immediately should be cooled as quickly as possible and refrigerated. In addition, it is good practice to clear out the fridge on a regular basis to ensure that any out of date foods are discarded. Leftovers should be kept covered in the fridge and used within 2-3 days. The storage instructions on the labels of food products should be followed and food that needs to be refrigerated should be put in the fridge as soon as possible after purchasing. Consult your manufacturer’s handbook for more information on this. If the fridge is not at the correct temperature the thermostat inside the fridge can be used to reduce/increase temperature. A mercury thermometer should not be used as it may break and contaminate the food. To find out the exact temperature of the fridge, a non-mercury thermometer can be purchased from department stores and supermarkets. The temperature of all fridges and chill storage cabinets should be between 0☌ and 5☌. What is the correct temperature for my fridge? For more detailed information than that contained below and other consumer issues please go to s afefood's website Food Storage
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