Refrigerator food safety

A refrigerator is a necessary piece of equipment for food safety in the kitchen. We may not realize the importance of our refrigerator until we lose power or are without one. Here are some ideas for keeping your foods safe in the refrigerator.

The temperature of your refrigerator should be at or below 40 degrees F. Bacteria grow most rapidly at temperatures of 40 to 140 degrees F. Refrigeration slows but does not stop bacteria growth. You can use the built-in thermometer or a separate appliance refrigerator to measure the temperature.

If you lose power, you will need to check the temperature of your refrigerator to see if the foods are still safe to eat. If they are still at 40 degrees F, they are safe. If they have been above 40 degrees F for more than 2 hours, a lot of the foods will need to be thrown away. Some things may not need to be thrown away, such as butter, oil-based salad dressing, peanut butter, hard cheese (not shredded, it must be thrown away), Parmesan cheese, fruit juice, canned fruit, jelly, ketchup, mustand, BBQ sauce, and some others. Mayonnaise must be thrown away if it has been above 50 degrees F for more than 8 hours.

Food in large pots should be divided up into smaller portions then stored in the refrigerator. It will cool faster in smaller portions and have less bacteria than a large portion. This will lessen the chance for food-borne illness when this food is eaten.

Raw meats should not be stored above other foods, in case they drip juice and contaminate those foods. Keep them separate from fresh fruits and vegetables too. Eggs or other dairy products that need to stay colder should not be stored in the door. The temperature of the door can vary each time the door is opened.

Try to clean out your refrigerator once a week to keep it clean of spoiled foods. A box of baking soda can help eliminate odors. Equal parts vinegar and water can be used to clean up any spoiled food, as can baking soda and water.

For food storage times, check out this Fact Sheet from the USDA.