Need for Safe Food Storage and Handling

Have you ever thought about why we keep things in the refrigerator and freezer, or store foods in airtight containers? How foods are stored affects both the quality and safety. Improperly stored food can lead to food spoilage and possible illness. One way workers show they keep food safe is by maintaining proper storage conditions.

Safe steps in food handling, cooking and storage are essential in preventing foodborne illness. You can't see, smell, or taste harmful bacteria that may cause illness. Proper food storage ensures safety and sanitation and preserves food's freshness, flavor and nutrients. It also protects food from moisture, drying out, dirt, dust, insects and other pests.

Although proper food storage does not improve the quality of food, it prevents the deterioration of food quality. Proper temperature ensure that the food retains its appearance, its aroma, texture, quality and color.

Food Storage Tips:

Put foods away as soon as you get home.
Check package labels for storage instructions.
A food's shelf life is how long it can be stored and still be safe to eat.
Put away frozen foods first, then refrigerated foods, and then other foods.
Put new packages behind older ones to help you follow the first in, first our rule, which states that foods should be used in the order they were purchased.

Foods should be refrigerated properly. An appliance thermometer should be used to measure temperature. Foil, plastic wraps or bags or airtight containers are the best choices for storing most foods in the refrigerator. Meat, poultry, eggs, seafood and other perishables should be refrigerated or frozen within 2 hours of cooking or purchasing.

Temperature affects storage time, and food deteriorates faster at higher temperatures. The recommended temperatures for storage areas are:

Pantry = 50-70 degrees Fahrenheit
Refrigerator = 34-40 degrees Fahrenheit
Freezer = 0 degrees or below

How long should you keep certain food items in the kitchen/pantry/refrigerator? Below is a list of some common foods and the length of time they can be kept for, as well as the temperature they must be kept at. A full storage chart list is located in the sidebar.

Food	Refrigerator (37-40 degrees)	Freezer (0 degrees)
Bread	7-14 days	3 months
Milk	1 week	3 months
Ground Beef	1-2 days	3-4 months
Chicken	1-2 days	12 months
Grapes	1 week	1 month
Carrots	3 weeks	10-12 months
Tomatoes	2-3 days	2 months

The costs of poor food handling are:

Food contamination and food complaints.
Food poisoning outbreaks and occasionally death.
Wasted food due to spoilage.
Pest infestations.
Loss of production.
Decontamination, cleaning, and replacement of damaged equipment.
Fines and costs of legal action taken due to noncompliance with hygiene, legislation, or because of sale of unsafe or unsatisfactory food.
The closure of food premises by local authority action.

The benefits of good food handling are:

Satisfied customers, a good reputation and increased business.
Increased shelf life of food.
Good working conditions, higher staff morale and lower staff turn over.
Compliance with the law.

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