storing food safely

• to preserve food, you need to keep it in conditions that bacteria cant grow in
• cooking food above 75 degrees kills bacteria
• its important to reheat food properly and only once. reheat the food to above 75 degrees for at least 3 minutes
• check food is at least 75 degrees with a temperature probe
• keeping food between 0 and 5 degrees slows down the growth of bacteria, which extends the shelf life of food
• chilling food doesnt change its properties much -chilled food looks and tastes the same - but it may have a harder texture
• bacteria can grow and multiply quickly in temperatures from 5 degrees to 63 degrees. this is called the danger zone
• hot food should be kept above 63 degrees
• the optimum temperature for bacteria growth is 37 degrees
• freezing food below -18 degrees stops bacteria from growing - they become dormant
• freezing greatly extends the shelf life of the food and the nutrients arent lost
• freezing doesnt kill the bacteria though, they become active again when the food defrosts
• fridges should be kept between 0 and 5 degrees, ideal for chilling foods - especially high risk foods
• in fridges, you should keep food covered or stored in containers to prevent contaminating other foods
• in fridges, raw meat, poultry and fish should be kept on the bottom shelf to avoid the blood and juices of raw meat dripping onto other food
• freezers are set to around -18 degrees
• in freezers, food should have clear labels with the date they were frozen
• you have to defrost meat and poultry thoroughly in a fridge - if food is partially frozen the recommended cooking time may not be sufficient to kill bacteria
• if cooking from frozen, follow instructions on the cooking package
• freezers and frozen foods use a star rating to indicate how long to store food:

  • * is for one week -6 degrees
  • ** is for one month -12 degrees
  • *** is for three months -18 degrees
  • **** is until best before end date at -18 degrees
• temperature control is vital for storing food, so labels on food packaging will tell you whether you need to store it in a fridge, a freezer or a cool, dry place
• lots of food we buy from a supermarket doesnt need to be stored in a fridge or freezer, instead they can be safely stored in a cool, dry place in their original packaging or an airtight container
• foods that can be stored in a cool, dry place contain little moisture or have been processed and preserved to make the conditions difficult for microorganisms to grow
• in freeze drying, food is frozen and dehydrated to remove moisture from the food eg instant coffee
• foods that are kept at room temperature are called ambient foods
• in canning / bottling food is sealed in a can or jar and heated to kill off micro organisms
• in vacuum packing, food is put into plastic packaging and the air is sucked out as some microorganisms cant survive without oxygen
• in pickling, food is plunged in brine or vinegar, making it too acidic for micro organisms to grow quickly
• in jam making, fruit is boiled with sugar and pectin, and sealed in a glass jar. the high sugar content prevents microorganism growth
• all food will eventually spoil or lose its quality - date marks must be printed on the packaging of the food you buy to help you know when the food is likely to be unsafe to eat, or not taste as good
• the 'use by' date is shown on products with a short shelf life. it is given as a safety warning. if you use the food after this date, it may not be safe - you run the risk of getting food poisoning
• the 'use by' date is shown on products with a short shelf life. it is given as a safety warning, if you use this food after the date, it might not be safe - you run the risk of getting food poisoning
• the 'best before' date is shown on products with a longer shelf life. its given as a warning about quality. if you eat the food after this date, its probably safe but might not be as nice
• eggs are risky to eat after their best before date - salmonella bacteria may have multiplied to dangerous levels
• food might be ok a bit after its best before date, but it wont be fine forever