Follow the 2-2-4 rule. It’s not a football play, but a simple guideline to keep food safe.

2: Two hours is the maximum amount of time food should be left out after cooking. Within two hours of serving, put it in the refrigerator or freezer.

2: Two inches of food in a shallow dish is the best way to make keep foods out of the danger zone. Food safety experts at USDA note that bacteria can grow when the food temperature is between 40° F and 140° F. Shallow dishes help the food to cool down quickly and evenly – the only way to prevent bacteria growth

4: Four days is how long you can safely keep leftovers. Make sure to reheat them to 165 before you indulge.

Some prep work before the big day can make sure your food storage game is at its best. Consider cleaning and organizing the refrigerator and freezer before food shopping to create room for perishable foods.

Check out this infographic with the best locations to keep different types of foods in the refrigerator. Raw meat, poultry and seafood should be in a sealed container or wrapped securely to prevent raw juices from contaminating other foods. Try to allow enough room so cold air can circulate.

When those Thanksgiving leftovers are nearing the four-day mark, consider some ideas from our expert to make good use of them.

Leftovers are a great way to enjoy the Thanksgiving meal for days to come and to reduce food waste. Follow food safety guidelines to keep you and your family safe.

Originally published Nov. 19, 2018

The post Got Thanksgiving Leftovers? Keep Them Safe. appeared first on Best Food Facts.

Keeping an organized refrigerator at temperatures below 40◦ F  can help improve food safety and quality while reducing food waste . But what happens when your refrigerator loses power? How long does the fridge stay cold, and how long will the food inside remain safe?

Keep the refrigerator and freezer doors closed in the event of a power outage, which will help keep the inside cold. The refrigerator will maintain its set temperature for about four hours and a full freezer will retain its temperature for approximately 48 hours. When a freezer is about half full, that time is cut to 24 hours.

If the thermometer in the refrigerator indicates the inside temperature has been above 40◦ F for two hours or more, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recommends throwing out any perishable food (meat, poultry, fish, leftovers or eggs). For additional tips on keeping eggs safe if your power goes out, visit the Egg Safety Center.

FDA has the following suggestions to keep your food safe, even in an emergency:

Be prepared.

• Make sure you have an appliance thermometer in your refrigerator (at or below 40◦ F) and freezer (0◦ F).
• Freeze containers of water for ice to help keep food cold in the freezer, refrigerator or coolers.
• Purchase or make ice cubes in advance and freeze gel packs ahead of time.
• Check out local sources to be prepared to buy dry ice and block ice, in case it is needed.
• Have coolers on hand to keep refrigerated food cold if the power will be out longer than four hours.
• Freeze refrigerated items that you may not need immediately. This keeps them at a safe temperature longer.
• Group food together in the freezer to help them stay cold longer.

When the lights go out.

• Keep the refrigerator and freezer doors closed as much as possible to maintain the cold temperature.
• Buy dry or block ice to keep the refrigerator as cold as possible if the power is going to be out for a prolonged period of time. Fifty pounds of dry ice should keep an 18 cubic foot, fully stocked freezer cold for two days.
• It is important that any item you eat be cooked thoroughly to a safe minimum internal temperature.
• If at any point the food was above 40◦ F for two hours or more – or above 90◦ F for one hour— discard it.

Powering back up.

• Once the power is restored, determine the safety of your food.
• Refrigerated food should be safe as long as the power was out no more than four hours and the refrigerator door was kept shut. Discard any perishable food that has been at temperatures above 40◦ F for two hours or more.
• Check the appliance thermometer in the freezer. If the thermometer reads 40◦ F or below, the food is safe and may be refrozen.
• If a thermometer has not been kept in the freezer, check each package of food for ice crystals to determine if the food is safe to refreeze or cook.

A power outage is never convenient. Following these guidelines will help keep it from becoming a bigger problem by keeping your food safe.

The post Weather the Storm and Keep Your Food Safe in a Power Outage appeared first on Best Food Facts.

Click on the image below to download a PDF.

Here are some additional tips on freezing foods to ensure both safety and quality.

1. Blanching: The exposure of vegetables to boiling water or steam for a brief period of time and then rapidly cooled. It stops enzyme actions which can cause loss of flavor, color and texture.
2. Temperatures: Freeze foods at 0°F or lower. While freezing does not kill bacteria, it does prevent the growth of bacteria if held at the proper temperature (0°F or lower).
3. Thawing: Perishable foods should never be thawed on the counter or in hot water. While the center may still be frozen, the outside layer may be in the “Danger Zone” between 40 and 140°F. For additional tips on thawing foods, check out this information from the United States Department of Agriculture Food Safety and Inspection Service.
4. Containers: Good freezing materials include rigid containers made of aluminum, glass, plastic, tin or heavily waxed cardboard. Some other options are bags and sheets of moisture-vapor resistant wraps and laminated papers made specially for freezing. Most often, these materials will be labeled for freezer use.
5. Freezer storage: Label each item with the name, ingredients, packaging date and number of servings. Maintain a rotation system and use items with oldest dates first. Allow proper circulation in freezer.
6. Freezer burn: Freezer burn is not dangerous, but it does impact the quality of the product. To help prevent this from happening, be sure to wrap or store the item well in freezer-quality bags and containers. Also, be sure to squeeze out as much excess air as possible.

_{Image: “Freezer Meals” by Kathleen Franklin is licensed by CC BY 2.0.}

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