Safe Handling of Foods After You Leave the Supermarket
In today's busy world, many convenience foods, including complete meals to go are experiencing runaway popularity. Some are hot, and some are cold. Most are consumed immediately, although there are times when ready prepared foods are purchased in advance to be eaten at a later time.
All foods are perishable and can cause illness when mishandled. Proper handling is essential to ensure the food is safe.
The 2-Hour Rule
Harmful bacteria can grow rapidly in the "DANGER ZONE" (between 40 and 140 degrees F). So remember the 2-hour rule. Discard any perishable foods left at room temperature longer than 2 hours. If you are eating outdoors at a picnic or cookout where temperatures are over 90 degrees F, discard after 1 hour.
Keep HOT foods HOT!
Keep COLD foods COLD!
Foods Purchased Hot
Eating Within 2 Hours?
Pick up food HOT and keep it HOT. Eat and enjoy your food within 2 hours to prevent harmful bacteria from multiplying.
Not Eating Within 2 Hours?
Keeping foods warm is not enough. Harmful bacteria grow rapidly between 40 and 140 degrees F.
Set oven temperature high enough to keep the food at or above 140 degrees F. (Use a food thermometer.) Stuffing and side dishes must also stay HOT. Covering with foil will help keep your food moist.
Eating Much Later?
It's not a good idea to try and keep foods hot longer than 2 hours. They will be safer and taste better if you:
- Divide meat or poultry into small portions to refrigerate or freeze.
- Refrigerate or freeze gravy, potatoes, and other vegetables in shallow containers.
- Remove stuffing from whole cooked poultry and refrigerate.
Reheating?
You may wish to reheat your meal, whether it was purchased hot and then refrigerated or purchased cold initially. Heat thoroughly to 165 degrees F until hot and steaming. Bring gravy to a rolling boil. If heating in a microwave oven, cover food and rotate dish so it heats evenly. Inadequate heating in the microwave can contribute to illnesses. Consult your microwave owner's manual for complete instructions.
Foods Purchased Cold
(Cooked and Refrigerated or Frozen)
Keep COLD Food COLD
Refrigerate or freeze immediately. Cold food should be held at 40 degrees F or colder.
Do you see the USDA inspection seal on a refrigerated or frozen meat product?
This seal on the label tells you the meat or poultry was prepared in a USDA-inspected plant. Read and follow package directions for thawing, reheating, and storing.
Buffet Service
Hot foods should be held at 140 degrees F or warmer. On the buffet table you can keep hot foods hot with chafing dishes, slow cookers, and warming trays. Cold foods should be held at 40 degrees F or colder. Keep foods cold by nesting dishes in bowls of ice. Otherwise, use small serving trays and replace them often.
Picnics, Tailgate Parties, & Other Occasions
When meals are purchased to eat at a later time, like a picnic, sporting event, or outdoor buffet, a cooler with ice is a practical alternative to a refrigerator. The cooler should be well insulated and packed with ice or freezer packs. Remember the 2-hour rule when food is removed from the cooler.
What to Do With Those Leftovers?
When the party's over, discard any foods that remained on the buffet table for more than 2 hours. Other leftovers can be refrigerated or frozen in shallow containers. Leftovers in the refrigerator should be used within 4 days. In the freezer they are safe indefinitely, but most will have best quality if used within 2-4 months.
It is safe to refrigerate or freeze leftovers. Wrap tightly for best quality.
STORAGE IN THE REFRIGERATOR
(40 degrees F or below)
| Cooked meat or poultry |
3 to 4 days |
| Fried chicken |
3 to 4 days |
| Pizza |
3 to 4 days |
Foods such as egg, tuna,
macaroni, or potato salad |
3 to 5 days |
| Luncheon meats |
3 to 5 days |
| Gravy |
1 to 2 days |
Foods stored longer may begin to spoil or become unsafe to eat.
STORAGE IN THE FREEZER
(0 degrees F or below)
| Cooked meat or poultry |
3 to 6 months |
| Fried chicken |
4 months |
| Pizza, luncheon meats |
1 to 2 months |
Salads made with mayonnaise do not freeze well.
Foods kept frozen longer than recommended times are safe, but may be drier and may not taste as good.
WHEN IN DOUBT, THROW IT OUT!
Handling Food Safely on the Road
V-A-C-A-T-I-O-N! Oh, how we long for that eight letter word every summer, when millions of us eagerly get away from school and work. We take to the road in cars or recreational vehicles; live on boats; relax in beach or mountain vacation homes; and camp.
No matter where we go or what we do, there is a common denominator that runs through all of our summer travels and relaxation -- it's called F-O-O-D!
The "road" to food safety, however, can either be a bumpy one or smooth -- depending on what precautions are taken handling meals as we travel this summer.
First, some general rules, while traveling this summer:
PLAN AHEAD...
If you are traveling longer than 30 minutes with perishable food, place it in a cooler with ice or freezer packs. When carrying drinks, consider packing them in a separate cooler so the food cooler is not opened frequently. Have plenty of ice or frozen gel-packs on hand before starting to pack food. If you take perishable foods along (for example, meat, poultry, eggs, and salads) for eating on the road or to cook at your vacation spot, plan to keep everything on ice in your cooler. Are there refrigerators at the beach house or other vacation home?
PACK SAFELY...
Pack perishable foods directly from the refrigerator or freezer into the cooler. Meat and poultry may be packed while it is still frozen; in that way it stays colder longer. Also, a full cooler will maintain its cold temperatures longer than one that is partially filled. Be sure to keep raw meat and poultry wrapped separately from cooked foods, or foods meant to be eaten raw such as fruits.
If the cooler is only partially filled, pack the remaining space with more ice or with fruit and some non-perishable foods such as peanut butter and jelly and perhaps some hard-like Cheddar cheeses. For long trips to the shore or the mountains, take along two coolers -- one for the day's immediate food needs, such as lunch, drinks or snacks, and the other for perishable foods to be used later in the vacation.
Keep the cooler in the air-conditioned passenger compartment of your car, rather than in a hot trunk. Limit the times the cooler is opened. Open and close the lid quickly.
Now, follow these food safety tips:
WHEN CAMPING...
Remember to keep the cooler in a shady spot. Keep it covered with a blanket, tarp or poncho, preferably one that is light in color to reflect heat.
Bring along bottled water or other canned or bottled drinks. Always assume that streams and rivers are not safe for drinking. If camping in a remote area, bring along water purification tablets or equipment. These are available at camping supply stores.
Keep hands and all utensils clean when preparing food. Use disposable towelettes to clean hands. When planning meals, think about buying and using shelf-stable food to ensure food safety.
WHEN BOATING...
If boating on vacation, or out for the day, make sure the all-important cooler is along.
Don't let perishable food sit out while swimming or fishing. Remember, food sitting out for more than two hours is not safe. Further, for food safety, the time frame is reduced to just one hour if the outside temperature is above 90 degrees F.
Now, about that "catch" of fish -- assuming the big one did not get away. For fin fish: scale, gut and clean the fish as soon as they are caught. Wrap both whole and cleaned fish in water-tight plastic and store on ice. Keep 3-4 inches of ice on the bottom of the cooler. Alternate layers of fish and ice. Cook the fish in 1-2 days, or freeze and use it within 6 months. After cooking, eat within 3-4 days. Make sure the raw fish stays separate from cooked foods.
Crabs, lobsters and other shellfish must be kept alive until cooked. Store in a bushel or laundry basket under wet burlap. Crabs and lobsters are best eaten the day they are caught. Live oysters can keep 7-10 days; mussels and clams, 4-5 days.
Caution: Be aware of the potential dangers of eating raw shellfish. This is especially true for persons with liver disorders or weakened immune systems. However, no one should do so!
WHEN AT THE BEACH...
Plan ahead. Take along only the amount of food that can be eaten to avoid having leftovers. If grilling, make sure local ordinances allow it.
Bring the cooler! Partially bury it in the sand, cover with blankets, and shade with a beach umbrella.
Bring along moist towelettes for cleaning hands.
If dining along the boardwalk, make sure the food stands frequented look clean, and that hot foods are served hot and cold foods cold. Don't eat anything that has been sitting out in the hot sun -- a real invitation for foodborne illness and a spoiled vacation.
WHEN IN THE VACATION HOME OR THE RV VEHICLE...
If a vacation home or a recreational vehicle has not been used for a while, check leftover canned food from last year. The Meat and Poultry Hotline recommends that canned foods which may have been exposed to freezing and thawing temperatures over the winter be discarded.
Also, check the refrigerator. If unplugged from last year, thoroughly clean it before using. Make sure all food preparation areas in the vacation home or in the recreational vehicle are thoroughly cleaned.
For additional food safety information about meat, poultry or eggs, call the toll-free USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline at 1 (800) 535-4555; in Washington, D.C. (202) 720-3333. It is staffed by home economists, dietitians and food technologists from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Eastern time year round. An extensive selection of food safety recordings can be heard 24 hours a day using a touch-tone phone. |
