Food
Safety
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Protect your family's health with these basic
steps.
- In addition to washing, you should peel and
discard outer leaves or rinds.
- Scrub hearty vegetables, such as potatoes and
carrots, if you want to eat the fiber and nutrient-rich skin.
- Clean surfaces (including cutting boards), utensils,
and hands after touching raw meat and poultry and before you
use them on fresh produce.
Click on the quick links to the right to read more
helpfull tips!
For additional information and other food safety tips, please
visit:
www.fightbac.org
Deli & Fresh Prepared Foods
Your supermarket maintains rigid quality assurance and sanitation
standards to ensure that you always receive fresh, wholesome
products. Once you purchase the food though, it's up to you
to take care of it. This is important, especially for these
perishable foods, because a large number of foodborne illnesses
are caused by improper handling of foods in the home.
| Most
cases of food poisoning are caused by pathogenic (disease
causing) microorganisms, parasites or viruses. However,
not all microorganisms cause food poisoning. Some bacteria,
yeasts and molds are used in food production. Others
are food spoilage microorganisms which cause foods to
turn bad.
Bacteria are part of our environment. Where there is
food there may be bacteria. Proper food handling and
cooking are the best ways to prevent foodborne illness.
Consuming raw or undercooked meats, poultry, seafood,
shellfish, or eggs may increase your risk of foodborne
illness, especially for children, the elderly, pregnant
women and those who have chronic illnesses or compromised
immune systems. |
Deli Meats...
Buy deli meats in quantities that can be used in three to five
days. Properly wrap and freeze deli meats that can't be used
in that time.
Rely on your senses, touch, sight and smell-to pick up signs
of spoilage:
- Off color such as grey or green. An iridescent sheen is
normal on ham and roast beef due to the mineral content.
- Off colors.
- A sticky or tacky surface.
...and Deli Cheeses
In general, the harder the cheese, the longer the shelf life
in your refrigerator. Thus, hard cheeses such as Romano and
Parmesan will have a longer life than will soft cheeses such
as Brie and Camembert.
Wrap cheese tightly. The only exception to this is the blue-vein
cheeses, which need "breathing room."
Certain types of bacteria are needed for cheeses to ripen, but
they also make cheeses quite prone to mold. Don't make the mistake,
however, of throwing out hard cheese that has only surface molds.
To be safe, cut off the mold and the surrounding 1/2-inch of
hard cheese. Discard any moldy soft cheeses.
Frozen and Refrigerated Prepared Foods
These foods usually come with explicit directions on defrosting
and cooking.
READ AND FOLLOW THE PACKAGE INSTRUCTIONS!
Thoroughly cook or reheat all refrigerated prepared foods to
an internal temperature of 165o F. Never set your oven under
325o F for cooking or baking meat or poultry, since oven temperatures
lower than that can increase bacterial growth. Don't purchase
packages or containers whose seals, wraps or lids are broken
or otherwise damaged.
Hot Foods
Your supermarket will frequently check hot-held foods. Do not
purchase lukewarm foods. Consume hot foods within two hours
of purchase or refrigerate them.
- Keep food containers sealed until ready to use. Reheat
takeout food in a microwave or standard oven to 165o F, or
until steaming hot.
- Leftovers should be refrigerated or frozen promptly. Use
leftovers within three to four days.
- Cool foods immediately in shallow pans or bowls in the refrigerator
to let air circulate.
Deli Salads
Use prepared salads like potato, macaroni and coleslaw within
three to five days.
- Follow the two-hour limit in leaving prepared salads out
of the refrigerator. In summertime, shorten the two-hour rule.
Even though it always looks great to spread all the food out
on the picnic table, it's safer to keep cold foods in coolers
until right before eating.
- Give each salad its separate, clean spoon for serving, cover
tightly when storing, and keep a watchful eye on color and
texture. Although some salads get that "distressed"
look because of their tendency to form a skin, the skin itself
is not bad and all you have to do is mix and blend-with a
clean utensil.
Deli Product Storage Chart
| PRODUCT |
REFRIGERATED |
FROZEN |
| Main
dishes, hot or
refrigerated |
3-
4 days |
2-
3 Months |
| Store-sliced
deli meats |
3-
5 days |
1-
2 months |
| Cold
salads |
3-
5 days |
Don't
freeze |
| Rotisserie
chicken |
3-
4 days |
4
months |
| Meats
covered with gravy or broth |
1-
2 days |
6
months |
| Fried
chicken |
3-
4 days |
4
months |
| Sliced
hard cheese, such as Cheddar or Swiss |
3-
4 weeks
opened |
6
months |
| Soft
cheese, such as Brie, Bel Paese, Goat Cheese |
1
week |
6
months |
| Olives |
2
weeks |
Don't
freeze |
| Sour
cream dips |
2
weeks |
Don't
freeze |
| Pesto,
salsa |
Date
on carton;
3 days after opening |
1-
2 months |
| Pudding |
Package
date;
2 days after opening |
Don't
freeze |
| Cut
fruits |
Package
date;
4 days after opening |
Don't
freeze |
| Cheesecake |
7
days |
2-
3 months |
| Fresh
pasta |
1-
2 days
or date on package |
2
months |
Please Note: Storage times are from date of purchase.
If products bear a use-by date, observe it.
It is not important if a date expires after food is frozen.
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