Food Safety
Storage
What is the proper temperature for my refrigerator?
Refrigerators should stay at 41 °F (5 °C) or less. A temperature of 41 °F (5 °C) or less is important because it slows the growth of most bacteria. The temperature won't kill the bacteria, but it will keep them from multiplying, and the fewer the bacteria, the less likely you are to get sick.
Freezing at zero °F (minus 18 °C) or less stops bacterial growth (although it won't kill all bacteria already present).
How long can leftover food be left out of the refrigerator?
Hot foods should be refrigerated as soon as possible after cooking (within two hours). Don't keep food if it's been standing out for more than two hours. Don't taste-test it, either. Even a small amount of contaminated food can cause illness.
Date leftovers so they can be used within a safe time. Generally, they remain safe when refrigerated for three to five days. If in doubt, throw it out, "It's not worth a food-borne illness for the small amount of food usually involved."
How long can you keep food in a freezer?
The answer to this question can be found in a document entitled: FOCUS ON: Freezing which is maintained on the web site of the Food Safety and Inspection Service.
My freezer stopped. What should I do and what can I save?
Ordinarily, a fully stocked freezer will keep food frozen for 2 days after losing power. A half-full freezer can maintain freezing power for roughly 1 day. The first thing to find out is how long your freezer will be out. If it can be started again within a safe time, you don't need to do anything. Just resist the temptation to keep looking inside. Each time you open the door, warm air rushes in, reducing the freezer's effectiveness.
However, if it can't be restarted in a day or two, you may want to:
- Divide your food up among friends' freezers.
- Find a store, church, or school freezer that will temporarily accept your food, or, if possible, rent space in a commercial freezer or cold storage plant.
- Put dry ice in your freezer. Place the dry ice on empty shelves in the freezer around the items to be kept frozen - not directly touching the packages themselves. You can also put a layer of cardboard over the freezer items and place the ice on top of the cardboard.
Twenty-five pounds of dry ice should hold a 10 cubic foot full freezer below freezing for 3-4 days. If the freezer is half-full, the same amount of ice will keep it stable for 2-3 days.
Judging food after a freezer thaw - Meat or poultry that still contains ice crystals may safely be refrozen. For meat and poultry products that have been kept in a refrigerator section, though, or have only managed to stay "cool-feeling," cooking is a better option. After you cook these items, you can refreeze them. Throw away any product that has even a slightly unusual color or odor.
How long can I keep bottles of formula/breast milk and when should I discard them?
- Discard leftover formula immediately because bacteria from the baby's mouth contaminates the formula. The bacteria can grow and multiply.
- Discard prepared bottles after 24 hours. Discard open containers of ready-to-feed or concentrated formula after 48 hours. Discard unused breast milk after 48 hours.
How do I safely store breast milk?
- Store breast milk in sterilized bottles in the refrigerator or a freezer.
- Label each container with the name of the child, date and time milk was pumped.
- Refrigerate promptly and use within 2 days, or
- Freeze and use within 2 weeks