Some food safety measures should be applied on a regular basis in the home. They are simple and straight forward, and will ensure personal safety
STORING FOOD
Whether putting food in the refrigerator, the freezer, or the cupboard, you have plenty of opportunities to prevent foodborne illnesses. For eggs still in the shell, you have 3-5 weeks to consume them. After cracking them open, the life of the raw egg is shortened to 4 days at the most.
REFRIGERATED FOOD AND POWER OUTAGES: WHEN TO SAVE AND WHEN TO THROW OUT
Is food in the refrigerator safe during a power outage? It should be safe as long as power is off for no more than 4 hours. Keep the door closed as much as possible. Discard any perishable foods (such as meat, poultry, fish, eggs, and leftovers) that have been above 4°C for over 2 hours.
Almost all foods present a health risk once you have passed the 4 hours cut-off.
| Food Types | Power Outages > 4 hours |
|---|---|
| Red, white meat & fish | Discard |
| Soft cheese | Discard |
| All dairy product | Discard |
| Eggs | Discard |
| Fresh cut fruit | Discard |
| Opened mayonnaise | Discard |
| Fish or oyster sauce | Discard |
| Cheesecake | Discard |
| Fresh pasta, pasta salads | Discard |
| Cooked vegetables, pre-packed ones, vegetable juice, baked potatoes | Discard |
Remark: All unprocessed raw vegetables are still good
A COMMON MISTAKE: NEVER TASTE FOOD TO DETERMINE ITS SAFETY!
You can’t rely on appearance or odor to determine whether food is safe to consume.
Storage times for the refrigerator
These short but safe time limits for home-refrigerated foods will keep them from spoiling or becoming dangerous to eat.
| Food Types | Storage Times |
|---|---|
| Salads | 5 days |
| Raw Sausages | 7 days |
| Fresh red meat | 5 days |
| Fresh white meat | 2 days |
| Soups & Stews | 4 days |
| Leftovers: burgers, pizza, nuggets & meat | 4 days |
