What Temperature Does the Refrigerator Need to Be

Are Y'all Storing Food Safely?

Storing food properly can assist prevent foodborne illnesses. Here are tips for safely storing food in your refrigerator, freezer, and cupboards.

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Whether putting food in the refrigerator, the freezer, or the cupboard, you have plenty of opportunities to forestall foodborne illnesses.

The goal is to keep yourself and others from beingness sickened past microorganisms such every bit Salmonella, E. coli O157:H7, and C. botulinum, which causes botulism. Keeping foods chilled at proper temperatures is i of the best ways to forestall or slow the growth of these bacteria.

These food storage tips tin can help y'all steer clear of foodborne illnesses.

Storage Basics

• Refrigerate or freeze perishables right away. Foods that require refrigeration should be put in the refrigerator every bit presently every bit y'all get them habitation. Stick to the "ii-hour rule" for leaving items needing refrigeration out at room temperature. Never allow meat, poultry, seafood, eggs, or produce or other foods that require refrigeration to sit at room temperature for more than two hours—1 hr if the air temperature is above 90° F. This also applies to items such as leftovers, "doggie numberless," and take-out foods. As well, when putting food away, don't crowd the fridge or freezer and so tightly that air tin can't circulate.
• Keep your appliances at the proper temperatures. Keep the refrigerator temperature at or below 40° F (4° C). The freezer temperature should exist 0° F (-18° C). Check temperatures periodically. Appliance thermometers are the best way of knowing these temperatures and are generally cheap.
• Check storage directions on labels. Many items other than meats, vegetables, and dairy products demand to be kept common cold. If you've neglected to properly refrigerate something, it's usually best to throw it out.
• Apply ready-to-eat foods equally soon as possible. Refrigerated ready-to-consume foods such as dejeuner meats should be used as before long as possible. The longer they're stored in the refrigerator, the more chance Listeria, a bacterium that causes foodborne illness, can grow, peculiarly if the fridge temperature is above twoscore° F (iv° C).
• Exist alert for spoiled food. Anything that looks or smells suspicious should be thrown out. Mold is a sign of spoilage. It tin grow fifty-fifty under refrigeration. Mold is not a major health threat, but information technology tin make food unappetizing. The safest practice is to discard nutrient that is moldy.
• Be aware that food tin can brand you very ill even when it doesn't look, smell, or taste spoiled. That'south because foodborne illnesses are acquired by pathogenic bacteria, which are different from the spoilage bacteria that make foods "become bad." Many pathogenic organisms are nowadays in raw or undercooked meat, poultry, seafood, milk, and eggs; unclean water; and on fruits and vegetables. Keeping these foods properly chilled will tedious the growth of bacteria.
• Following the other recommended nutrient handling practices will farther reduce your gamble of getting ill — clean your hands, surfaces and produce, split up raw foods from ready-to-eat foods, and cook to safe temperatures.

Refrigeration Tips

• Marinate food in the refrigerator. Bacteria can multiply rapidly in foods left to marinate at room temperature. Also, never reuse marinating liquid as a sauce unless you bring it to a rapid boil first.
• Make clean the refrigerator regularly and wipe spills immediately. This helps reduce the growth of Listeria bacteria and prevents drips from thawing meat that can allow bacteria from one nutrient to spread to another. Clean the fridge out frequently.
• Keep foods covered. Shop refrigerated foods in covered containers or sealed storage bags, and check leftovers daily for spoilage. Store eggs in their carton in the fridge itself rather than on the door, where the temperature is warmer.
• Bank check expiration dates. A "use by" date means that the manufacturer recommends using the production by this date for the all-time flavor or quality. The date is non a food safety date. At some point after the use-by date, a production may change in gustatory modality, color, texture, or nutrient content, simply, the product may exist wholesome and safe long subsequently that appointment. If y'all're not sure or if the food looks questionable, throw it out.
• The exception to this is baby formula. Infant formula and some babe foods are unique in that they must be used by the use-by engagement that appears on the parcel.

Freezer Facts

• Food that is properly frozen and cooked is safety. Food that is properly handled and stored in the freezer at 0° F (-18° C) will remain safety. While freezing does non kill most bacteria, it does cease leaner from growing. Though food will be safety indefinitely at 0° F, quality will subtract the longer the food is in the freezer. Tenderness, flavor, odour, juiciness, and colour can all be afflicted. Leftovers should be stored in tight containers. With commercially frozen foods, it's of import to follow the cooking instructions on the package to assure rubber.
• Freezing does non reduce nutrients. There is little change in a food'due south protein value during freezing.
• Freezer burn does not mean food is unsafe. Freezer burn is a food-quality issue, not a food safety issue. Information technology appears equally grayish-brown leathery spots on frozen nutrient. It tin can occur when food is not securely wrapped in air-tight packaging, and causes dry spots in foods.
• Refrigerator/freezer thermometers should exist monitored. Refrigerator/freezer thermometers may be purchased in the housewares department of section, appliance, culinary, and grocery stores. Place one in your refrigerator and ane in your freezer, in the front in an like shooting fish in a barrel-to-read location. Cheque the temperature regularly—at least once a week.

If You Lose Electricity

If you lot lose electricity, keep fridge and freezer doors closed as much as possible. Your fridge will keep food cold for virtually four hours if it'due south unopened. A full freezer will keep an adequate temperature for most 48 hours if the door remains closed.

Once Power is Restored . . .

You'll need to determine the safe of your food. Here's how:

• If an appliance thermometer was kept in the freezer, check the temperature when the power comes back on. If the freezer thermometer reads 40°F or beneath, the food is safe and may be refrozen.
• If a thermometer has not been kept in the freezer, check each package of nutrient to determine its safety. You tin't rely on appearance or scent. If the food still contains ice crystals or is 40 °F or below, it is safe to refreeze or cook.
• Refrigerated food should be safe as long equally the power was not out for more than four hours and the refrigerator door was kept close. Discard any perishable food (such every bit meat, poultry, fish, eggs or leftovers) that has been above 40°F for two hours or more.

Tips for Not-Refrigerated Items

• Check canned goods for harm. Can damage is shown by swelling, leakage, punctures, holes, fractures, all-encompassing deep rusting, or crushing or denting severe enough to prevent normal stacking or opening with a manual, bicycle-type can opener. Stickiness on the exterior of cans may point a leak. Newly purchased cans that announced to be leaking should be returned to the store for a refund or substitution. Otherwise, throw the cans abroad.
• Keep food away from poisons. Don't shop not-perishable foods nigh household cleaning products and chemicals.

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Source: https://www.fda.gov/consumers/consumer-updates/are-you-storing-food-safely#:~:text=Keep%20the%20refrigerator%20temperature%20at,Check%20temperatures%20periodically.

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