Clean out your refrigerator

Next Tuesday (November 15) is Clean Out Your Refrigerator Day. Sometimes foods or leftovers get pushed to the back of the refrigerator and we forget about them until we notice an unidentifiable smell. Take some time this week clear out old leftovers and throw away expired or old foods.

It helps to get into a habit of cleaning your refrigerator out once a week. For some, it may be on the same day that you put your trash out for trash pick-up. That way the food isn't sitting in your kitchen trash can all week. Or take some time on Saturday or Sunday morning when you coffee is brewing to clear out the refrigerator.

It's important to keep your refrigerator clean as well. A box of baking soda is very inexpensive and can go a long way in eliminating odors in your refrigerator. Make sure to clean up any spills using a bleach-water solution and letting dry properly.

There is an iPhone or iPad app called "4 Day Throw Away" that you can download from the app store. You are able to search foods by food categories or keywords. Listed under each food item are storage recommendations, reheating instructions and special considerations. The application also gives information on  foodborne illnesses, with details on symptoms, duration, complications and prevention. You can find the app by searching for the name or by using this address linked above. The app was developed from the 4-Day Throw Away campaign, so visit their website for more information or if you don't have a iPhone or iPad.

If you are on Twitter, you can follow these individuals who post about food safety. @USDAFoodSafety @FDARecalls @FoodSafety @foodsafetygov are a few examples.

Don't know if your foods are good anymore? You can find Food Storage charts online. The University of Nebraska Lincoln Extension has a comprehensive safe food storage on their website. University of Missouri Extension has separate ones for storing food in the cupboard, storing foods in the refrigerator, and storing foods in the freezer. It may be handy to print these and keep them near your refrigerator.

When reviewing the foods in the refrigerator, it is helpful to know the difference between the best by date, sell-by date, use-by date, etc.
Types of dates:

• A "Sell-By" date tells the store how long to display the product for sale. You should buy the product before the date expires.
• A "Best if Used By (or Before)" date is recommended for best flavor or quality. It is not a purchase or safety date.
• A "Use-By" date is the last date recommended for the use of the product while at peak quality. The date has been determined by the manufacturer of the product. It is not a safety date, if the food has been handled properly and kept at 40 degrees F or below, it will be safe for the recommended amount of time for that food listed on a food storage chart. 

Most of these dates refer to quality, not safety. Not many foods have an expiration date (except baby food and formula) but if so, follow that. If there is no date listed on the product or you are unsure, use the food storage chart to help you determine the amount of time that food will be safe. Protein foods are the ones to be most careful with during storage (eggs, meat, milk, etc) and to pay attention to proper food storage times. If a food has been left out for more than 2 hours, it is not safe to eat at all (even if it is before the dates listed on the food storage chart). For more information on food dates, you can look at the USDA food product dating website.