With Thanksgiving approaching this weekend, now is a good time to think about how to properly store all that food you’re buying in preparation for the big dinner. Proper food storage protects us against foodborne illnesses from bacteria such as E. coli, Salmonella, and Listeria, all of which can cause life threatening illness.
Regularly check the temperature of your refrigerator and freezer. Your refrigerator should be set for 5°C (40°F) and your freezer should be set to -18°F (0°F) or lower. These nippy temperatures will keep bacteria from multiplying on your food. If your refrigerator doesn’t have a thermostat, it’s a good to idea to buy one to make sure you can monitor the temperatures in your fridge and freezer.
After a trip to the grocery store, items that need to be refrigerated or are purchased frozen should be put away first. Here are some more tips for storing meat, poultry, fish, and eggs in the refrigerator:
- Keep eggs in their original carton on a shelf in your refrigerator – most refrigerator doors don’t keep eggs cold enough!
- Put meat, poultry, and fish in plastic bags so that their juices don’t get on other foods in the refrigerator.
- Freeze or cook raw ground meat, poultry, or fish within 1 to 2 days of purchase.
- Freeze or cook fresh meat (steaks, chops or roasts) within 3 to 5 days of purchase.
- Remember even in the freezer, you cannot keep food forever. Check this guide to storing food for some guidelines on how long certain foods can be kept in your refrigerator or freezer.
Keeping food safety in mind at all times will make sure that you and your family can enjoy your Thanksgiving holiday and avoid a preventable illness.
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